All The Right Reasons
by CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88
Summary: JATE. Alternate version of Season 2. Walt has managed to escape from the Others, but they want him back. How will his return to the other survivors affect their struggle with the Others and the mystery of the hatch? JATE
1. Prologue

-1**A/N: **Hey everyone! I'm really excited about this story because its my first ever full-length story for Lost. Yes, I did do Only to Seattle, but that doesn't count because it never got finished (it might _still_ get finished) and I did that one with **Shiggity**. Anyway, I'm not exactly sure how long this story is going to turn out to be, but so far in my notes, I've figured out that its going to be longer than 5 chapters, so that's something.

All you really need to know before reading this is that it takes place during _Man of Science, Man of Faith _and serves as a sort of alternate version of that episode. So yes, there are some spoilers for Season 2 in here. Anyway, I hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer: **Nothing that you recognize in this story is mine and I don't claim that it is.

**All The Right Reasons**

**Prologue**

_"Come back"_

Whispers, almost silent against the chill night air, pierced through the darkness, ringing in Walt's mind. Always the same, urging him to come back, to stop running. At first, Walt had thought they were nothing more than a figment of his imagination, but now he wasn't so sure. They sounded so solid, so palpable. Yet he could see no one, nothing that could make such sounds.

Fear was the most tangible emotion in Walt's mind. It coursed wildly through his veins, his heart pounding persistently within his chest. Most of all, the fear was what kept him going, kept him moving. It seemed as though Walt could hardly think straight without the pains of complete physical exhaustion forcing its way into his system. He couldn't say why, but in the back of his mind he just _knew_ that if he stopped, if he listened to the constant, pounding whispers in his mind, then it would be all over for him.

Walt had no idea where he was going. He didn't even know where he was. It was little more than an hour ago when he had woken up, body sprawled out on the damp ground, the barrage of trees that was the jungle looming over him. He had hardly known who he was, yet alone where he was and why he was here.

After a moment of enduring the burning pains of a headache, he was sure of only one thing. His name was Walt. From that conclusion, he also knew that His father was Michael. He belonged with Michael. Somewhere in his subconscious, he could see an image of himself running down a seemingly never ending stretch of beach, a large yellow lab bounding clumsily along at his heels.

He didn't understand these images. By this time, Walt could remember just about everything about his life. His mother. His father. Brian. But a beach? A yellow lab? And all of the people he had seen. When he had lived with his mother and Brian in Australia, though the beach lay little more than a half hour's drive away, he had never been allowed to go. His mother had been too afraid of shark attacks and drowning. But the image in his mind of the beach and the yellow lab were as clear to Walt as day in that moment when he regained consciousness in this unfamiliar place.

FLASH

_"Help me!"_

_"Walt!"_

_"Help me dad! Please!"_

FLASH

As if in a memory, these pleas and cries for help exchanged between himself and his dad ran repeatedly in his mind. He couldn't remember ever uttering them, ever feeling so desperate that he needed to call on his father for help. The truth was, he hadn't known his father that long. Just long enough to meet him and then leave his home and everything he knew to get on a plane with him and travel to LA.

Always, with the voices in his mind, pounding in his ears, Walt could feel phantom hands laced over his shoulders, pulling at his frame. The hands gripped him tightly, constantly trying to pull him backward.

FLASH

_"We're going to have to take your boy…"_

FLASH

A voice Walt didn't know accompanied the grimy feeling of hands gripping his shoulders. He didn't have time to think about the hands, or the sound of the pained voice of his father and the memory of his own fearful voice. Walt had to think about the present, about right now. Someone, something was after him. The whispers. They were all around him, as if trying to consume him. He had to get away, but to where? He didn't even know where he was, why he was in the jungle.

So now he ran. Ran without any idea where he was going or how he was ever going to be safe. Afraid of everything around him, everything that he saw. It was dark, darker than any night he had ever experienced. He had no way of knowing if it would ever be light again.

_"It isn't safe, boy…"_

The whispers resounded in his mind with a new fury. "No…" he mumbled, desperate to fight them off. He could feel the burning sting of tears forming in his eyes and he didn't have the strength to fight them off. Soon, one stray, hot tear rolled defiantly down his cheek.

_"You must come back….back to us…"_

"No!" Walt shouted, not even knowing what he was yelling at or if it could even hear him.

The whispers grew more persistent in his mind and he didn't know how much longer he could stand them. He couldn't even hear himself think! He felt the urge to stop running, to throw himself on the ground and claw at his own skin, to tear away whatever was inside him that was barraging him now.

Just as he knew that he couldn't take it anymore, that he would have to give in and stop running, to go back, Walt felt his very world begin to spin as the ground disappeared beneath him. His worn tennis shoe had caught itself on a protruding root, dropping him face first to the moist jungle floor.

Walt hissed in pain as the air got caught in his throat from the sudden fall. He did not stop though as he hit the ground, for he now found himself rolling uncontrollably down a steep slope. He screamed and he kicked wildly as he fell, not knowing what could possibly await him at the bottom.

After what seemed like an eternity of scrapes and bruising, Walt felt his body roll to a stop at the base of the hill. His senses went wild when he felt the freezing chill of water seeping over his body, soaking his already ragged clothes. Groaning in pain, Walt lifted his head to look around him. He let out a tiny breath of relief when he realized that the whispers had gone and now he was left in silence. Reaching a hand up to the burning on his mouth, Walt realized that his bottom lip had been split in the fall. Using his sleeve, Walt wiped the drizzle of blood from his chin and lips. He could taste the copper tint of the blood in his mouth, giving him the urge to choke.

Pulling himself painfully to his feet, Walt could feel his clothes cling tightly to his skin. He was soaked from head to toe with the water from the large puddle he had fallen into. As he took a step away from the puddle, his worn khaki pants sloshed with water and his shoes squeaked. He was dripping wet. Slower now, he moved on through the jungle, much less afraid. He was free of the whispers, and though he felt far from safe, he knew somehow that if he could just keep moving, he would be okay.

Walt was happy to see that the visibility in this part of the jungle was much better than where he had previously been. The trees were far less dense and because of this, He could see tiny rays of moonlight creeping through the jungle canopy, painting streaks of light on the jungle floor.

There was a large clump of trees to Walt's left. Something wasn't right. He could feel it. Moving closer to the trees, as if to use them as a shield, Walt slowly peered around the corner, looking into the expanse of jungle on the other side. Just as he did so, a large yellow lab came bounding straight at him, barking excitedly and then darting quickly past him. The dog was like a streak of white light in this pale moonlight, so bright that Walt could hardly make out its form as it flashed past him. But just as he saw the dog, for just that split second, Walt's mind lit up in obvious recognition. Vincent. _Vincent_. How could he ever have forgotten? He felt a brief rush of relief wash over him at seeing his dog.

That relief soon vanished. Then he heard it. Voices. Panic.

"Vincent!" came a cry from nearby. Though it was nearly impossibly to see clearly in this dim moonlight, Walt could clearly see the form of a tall blonde woman, probably in her early twenties, move into view. With her came a long beam of light, illuminating the whole clearing. She had a flashlight gripped tightly in her right hand and, as Walt looked closer, a red dog leash.

Walt held his breath, forcing himself, despite his looming fear, to be completely silent. He let out an inner sigh of relief when he realized that the light had not fallen on him and the woman had no idea he was watching her.

"Its not a good idea!" A thickly accented voice from a man that Walt could not yet see.

"I saw him 5 minutes ago. Besides, you're the one who said there isn't anyone out there," the blonde replied smartly. Had these been the ones who were making the whispers? Were they the ones that were after him?

At this last remark from the blonde, the unknown man with the rich accent came into view. He too was tall and well built, Walt noted. He looked tired by the way he moved and even in the dim light, Walt could tell by his mass of coal black curls and his olive skin that the man was likely of Middle Eastern decent. Looking at the two standing in the clearing together, Walt felt a pang in his heart, a tiny pinch in the back of his mind. It was as if he ought to know them, ought to remember them.

"I said we didn't see anyone," the man corrected her as he approached her. "The dog will come back on his own. He always does."

Walt felt an utter sense of confusion when he realized that these people were looking for Vincent. But how? Why? How did they even know Vincent?

"Watching his dog was the one thing anyone has ever asked me to do." the blonde replied, now facing the man. She looked pained, as if too much had happened to her in too little time, "If something happens to him…"

But who had asked this woman to watch Vincent? Why?

"When was the last time you slept or had something to eat?" Now the man looked concerned for her. His feelings were etched out his face, radiating in his eyes. He cared for her. Somehow, Walt didn't question this or brush is off as just a guess. Somehow, he just _knew, _"You're exhausted."

"I can't tell that kid that I lost his dog because I was exhausted," the woman replied, strumming a chord in Walt's mind. Someone had told her to watch Vincent. This was all just too confusing. Too _wrong. _But yet, at the same time, eerily _right_.

Suddenly, the sound of a dog barking came from behind where the man and woman were standing. It came from past the clearing and back into the trees beyond them. In an instant, they both took off after the sound and out of both his curiosity and his confusion, Walt stormed after them.

Walt was exhausted and it burned deep within his legs, muscles stiff, with every rapid step he took. It didn't take him long though, to come upon what he was looking for. He soon found Shannon, almost a hundred yards away from where they had previously been standing. She was alone, in a clearing not unlike the one they had been in before. The man, whoever he was, had gone.

Not realizing what he was doing, Walt didn't stop at the tree line that circled around the clearing. Instead, he felt drawn to her and to everything that was going on around him. He continued to edge forward into the clearing. He didn't realize any of this though until the moonlight that had a clear shot at him from the treeless canopy had washed completely over him, revealing his presence to the woman.

Walt's breath caught painfully in his throat as he realized what he had done. The woman gasped in obvious fear at the sight of him. Before he had the chance to step back or even to take another breath, she screamed, trembling as she moved farther into the clearing.

"Walt?" she called from where she stood, body shaking like a leaf. She looked much like a dear caught in the headlights, frozen in fear and unable to move.

Walt had never been more surprised or even afraid in his life. But in that moment, he made complete eye contact with the woman, and in that moment, everything came racing back to him in a sudden rush of memory.

FLASH

_"What makes you think I need a dog to take care of me?"_

_"Vincent took care of me when my mom died, and nobody would talk to me. They pretended like nothing happened. So I had to talk to Vincent. He's a good listener. You could talk to him about Boone if you want…"_

_"Alright, but only until you get us rescued, okay?"_

FLASH

It was only a tiny fragment of memory. A brief few sentences, but with that came a name. Shannon. He knew that this woman, however he knew her, was Shannon. _He_ had asked _Shannon_ to take care of Vincent. Somehow, in this strange place, this was possible.

"Shannon…" He said tentatively. It wasn't a question.

"Oh my God…" Shannon gasped. Not in fear, but in sheer wonder, "How did you get here?"

"I don't know…" was the only reply Walt could think to give. It was entirely truthful. He didn't even truly know who this woman was. All he knew was her name.

The woman began to walk towards him, clearly in a state of shock. "Sayid!" she called out. Walt assumed that she was calling for the man he had previously seen her talking to. The one that had gone after Vincent. Somehow, the name fit. It was as if Walt had known that was the man's name all along. "Sayid!"

"Shannon!" Sayid came bounding through the brush, Vincent following at his side as Sayid had the dog's collar in his grip, "What is it? Are you alright?"

Before Sayid could take notice of Walt, Vincent saw the boy and immediately broke away from Sayid's grip to run to him. He leapt onto Walt, nearly knocking the already exhausted boy down.

"Vincent!" Walt said excitedly, a feeling of warmth washing over him as he realized that now at least he wasn't alone in this unfamiliar place. At least now, he would have Vincent.

"Walt?" Sayid voiced, puzzled. The man turned to look at Shannon, as if unable to question how Walt's presence was even possible.

"I just found him out here," Shannon said lamely, not quite sure what else to say about the situation.

"What are you doing here?" Sayid immediately asked, voice serious. After a moment, he added almost hesitantly, "What happened to the raft?"

"What raft?" Walt replied, completely confused at Sayid's question.

"You don't remember the raft?" the look of worried confusion etched on the man's face was beginning to scare Walt.

"No," he responded quickly.

"But you remember Shannon…You remember me…" It almost wasn't a question. It was more of a statement, Walt decided. A very worried statement.

"I only know your names…" Walt admitted, embarrassed.

At this response, Sayid's eyes grew wide. He gazed at Walt for a moment, as if looking him over for some sort of defect, something to explain everything that was going on. He then turned to Shannon, who looked equally disturbed as she gaped at Walt.

"We need to get him to Jack," Sayid said, voice hushed, eyes wide.

**A/N:**Well, I hope you guys liked it! That was only the Prologue, so for those of you who were just looking for Jate, you'll really like chapter 1. Anyway, feedback would be really great from you guys, so please review! I'll try to get an update up soon.


	2. Man of Science Man of Faith

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! Thanks for sticking around after the prologue. I'm _really_ sorry that its taken me a while to update, but I've been having some problems with my computer. I'm in the process of switching to a new laptop, but I can't figure out how to move my itunes/ipod stuff over, so if any of you happen to know how to do this, _please_ drop me and email.

Anyway, I'm going to try to update this story once a week, possibly more. A lot does depend on the feedback because if it doesn't look like very many people are reading it, I won't really feel compelled to use up all my free time writing it. I was really pleased with all the feedback I got for the prologue and I really appreciate the effort from you guys. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** Anything you recognize isn't mine and I don't claim to own it.

**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 1: Man of Science Man of Faith**

"Jack!" That was the first thing Jack heard upon entering the caves from the trail to the hatch. "Jack!" Sayid was calling him.

"What is it?" It was always something. Always. Jack rarely left the caves without coming back only to be barraged by people calling his name. And so, Jack could only wonder. _What now._

From seemingly out of nowhere, Sayid came jogging up to Jack, rushed and out of breath. "We found Walt…"

"What? Where?" Jack couldn't even begin to voice the confusion he was feeling at hearing Sayid's words. He could feel the eyes of everyone around him, burning into him. They wanted to watch him, see what he was going to do about it. They wanted him to fix what had gone wrong. They wanted him to give them a reasonable answer for Walt not to be on a raft in the middle of the ocean, out to save them.

"In the jungle…Shannon and I found him in the jungle nearly an hour ago," came Sayid's reply. And Jack had to wonder, _what about the rest of them_? Because if Walt truly was here. If they had actually found him in the jungle. Then something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

"Where is he?" Jack asked, eager to get to the bottom of this. He couldn't help but think that this truly was the last thing that he needed right now. Another problem. Another mystery the island just had to throw at him. But he didn't have time to be bitter. He didn't have time to complain. He only had time to act.

Without a word, Sayid turned from Jack, beckoning him to follow. Jack followed Sayid into one of the nearby caves, the one Jack had been using as a store room for the medical supplies. And there he was. There was Walt, looking broken and exhausted, sprawled out on the ragged airline seat that Jack used for patients.

He was wearing the same clothes that Jack remembered watching him leave on the raft in. Except now they were covered in mud, dirt, grime. They were torn and ragged, as if he had worn these same clothes for weeks. He was sopping wet and shivering. There was a tiny drizzle of blood dripping from Walt's lower lip to the base of his chin. And then Jack's instincts kicked in.

Jack could sense the number of people standing behind him, looming over him to see what he was going to do about this new problem. Why not put them to good use?

"Charlie, I need you to run to the beach," Jack said quickly, "Find Walt's things and bring them here. Make sure he has a change of clothes."

"Right, clothes," Charlie said hurriedly before backing out of the medical cave at a sprint, rushing to do what Jack had asked.

Jack could see a white blur to his right, and he knew that Sun was there too. Turning to look at her, Jack felt a pang when he met her eyes. He knew what Sun must be thinking, looking at Walt so torn up and confused like this. Something must have happened to the raft. Something must have happened to Jin.

"Sun, can you get into the medical supplies and find some bandages and peroxide?" Jack asked, feeling himself begin to calm down. It wasn't Walt's condition that had originally panicked him. It was the fact that Walt was here. No matter how many times Jack let that idea run through his mind, he still couldn't grasp any possible scenario with a positive outcome that could result in Walt being here.

"Hurley, I need a bucket of fresh water and some rags," Jack voiced, not even bothering to turn his head. Without looking, he knew that Hurley was there.

"Right, got it dude…" came Hurley's voice, just as Jack heard him shuffling through the gathering crowd.

"Kate!" Jack called, not taking his focus or eyes off of Walt, "Get me some blankets so I can warm him up…"

But with this request, there was only silence. All Jack heard in response was the hushed murmurings of the crowd. Breaking his focus away from Walt, Jack shifted his position, turning his head to look behind him. "Kate!" he called again, but was once again met by no response. Eyes scanning the crowd, he realized that he couldn't even see her amongst them. That was strange to him, because she had always been right at the front of the crowd when there was an emergency, seeing what she could do to help.

"She's not here, Jack…" Sayid offered, turning Jack's attention back to the present.

Then Jack remembered that Kate had been coming back from the hatch with Locke while he and Hurley had headed off in a different direction. A tiny flicker of worry crossed his features, burning into the back of his mind. As much as he wanted to run and act on it, he knew that it was his job to stay here. He had to make sure Walt was alright. _She's fine_, Jack mentally assured himself. She and Locke just hadn't made it back as quickly as he and Hurley had.

"Right," Jack responded lamely, trying to mask his worry, "Then Sayid, could you get me the blankets?"

"Of course," Sayid replied, calm even in the midst of everything.

As soon as Sayid left, Jack realized that in order for everything to go as smoothly as possible, he had to do something about the growing crowd.

"Get, back!" Jack yelled over the noise, "I need all of you to get back!"

At Jack's orders, the crowd began to slowly dissipate, backing out of the cave. Finally, there was less noise and Jack could hear himself think. He turned to Walt, racking his mind for what he could ask the boy. There were just too many questions that needed to be answered.

Nearly an hour later, Jack felt an utter sense of both physical and mental exhaustion begin to set in. He had done everything that he could for Walt, and now the boy, obviously suffering from exhaustion, was fast asleep in the airline seat. Jack had made sure that Walt dried off and got a change of clothes, but as for the rest of Walt's condition, aside from the bruises and scrapes, Jack had no idea. It was clear to him that Walt was suffering from amnesia, but as a doctor, Jack knew there wasn't anything that he could do about it.

The amnesia was the most frustrating thing of all on Jack's mind just now. There were so many unanswered questions, questions that would plague the rest of the survivors and worry them, that were left unanswered. Just the thought of it left a bad taste in Jack's mouth.

Jack looked up as he heard commotion start up amongst the other survivors. And for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Jack had to ask himself, _What now_?

From across the caves, Jack could see Kate and Locke coming out of the jungle from the trail to the hatch. Relief washed over him knowing that they were alright and that his brief worry had been for nothing. Getting up, almost reluctantly, from where he sat lounging in the medical cave beside Walt, Jack made his way over to the growing crowd around Kate and Locke.

As Jack approached, he heard Shannon's voice first, "Did you see them? Did you see the Others?" Her voice was fearful, almost hesitant. Jack knew that she represented the thoughts of every survivor standing in that crowd when she asked that question.

Before Kate or Locke could come up with any sort of answer for that question, Charlie jumped in, almost angrily, "Hey, Shannon, there are no Others. We've already had this conversation."

"What the hell would you know about it?" Shannon retorted tersely, glaring daggers at Charlie.

"There's no one out there…" Charlie replied, a little setback by Shannon's tone.

"You don't know!" Shannon said, looking as if she wanted to strangle Charlie. Jack felt that it was probably his time to step in before an all out riot broke out.

Without stopping to even think about what he was going to say or how he could possibly address any of the issues floating around, Jack pushed his way insistently through the crowd. When he got through to the front, his eyes fell upon Kate, but only for a moment. He felt his insides stir ever so slightly as they made eye contact for that brief moment. She flashed him a reassuring smile as she moved out of the way for him and suddenly, the task ahead of Jack didn't seem so impossible anymore.

"Hey!" Jack called loudly over the mumbling roar of the other survivors. Almost instantly, the noise fell to a hushed murmur and they all jerked their heads to look expectantly in Jack's direction, "Everything's going to be okay. Lets just take it easy. We're going to be alright. We're going to stay here tonight, okay, together. The sun comes up in three hours and we're all going to be here to see that happen. I promise."

Jack's words noticeably reassured the crowd. During these past forty-eight days spent on the island, each and every one of them had come to trust Jack. They all had learned to put their faith and him because they knew that he could fix things.

"What about the whispers?" Shannon asked, the first to speak up since Jack's calming words, "I heard whispers…"

"Where?" Claire asked, concerned for her baby. Everyone knew what the French woman, Danielle, had said about the Others.

"Everywhere…" Shannon responded, blinking rapidly and taking a deep breath.

Charlie, concerned that Shannon was scaring Claire spoke up, "What whispers? Who?"

"I don't know…._them_," Shannon replied, a look of fear written clearly on her face, "the Others…"

"There _are_ no others!" Charlie shot back, this time in anger.

"Ask Jack!" Shannon was nearly in tears now, shouting back at Charlie much as they had been before Jack spoke up, "He was there, in the jungle!"

Charlie turned around to face Jack at the head of the crowd, a look of stunned confusion on his face, "What? What's she talking about, Jack?"

"I…" Jack began, mind scrambling to find the right words. Everyone was so tense and upset that he didn't want to make things worse for them. If they were all truly going to make it, as he had promised them, they would all have to calm down, "I didn't see any Others. But Locke…Locke found a hatch in the ground about a half a mile from here. We left to blow it open so that we could hide inside…so that _all_ of us could hide inside, in case…but that doesn't matter now because its not going to work. There's no way for us all to get down there tonight."

Many of the survivors had been shocked into silence by Jack's words. Jack couldn't blame them. If he hadn't been there at the hatch to see it, he probably would've been in complete shock too.

"Jack, where's Dr. Arzt?" Charlie asked, almost hesitantly after hearing Jack's story.

_Great_, Jack thought, _the one thing I don't want to tell them. The one thing that'll stir them up again_. "Um," Jack struggled for the words, "he didn't make it…"

There was another stunned silence, followed by a series of shocked murmurs. At least they had taken the news of Dr. Arzt's death better than Jack had originally thought.

"Jack?" the request was almost silent. Jack would've missed it if Sun hadn't continued, speaking up just a little louder, "Do you think something happened to the raft?"

Jack froze. How could he answer that question? Here was Sun, probably worried out of her mind about Jin, and the best he could do is just guess. She knew everything that he did. She had seen Walt and the state he had been in when Shannon and Sayid found him in the jungle. But what could Jack say? Telling her that he was sure everything was fine would be a lie. But if he told her what he personally thought was more probable, it would break her heart. And what did he really know? Michael, Jin and Sawyer could all be just fine. But that was just it. He didn't know and he didn't have the right to say.

Jack felt the warmth of relief washing over him when he heard Sayid speak up in his silence, "Nothing happened to the raft," Sayid said with a surprisingly calm demeanor, "Your husband is fine. He's with Michael and Sawyer and they're all going to be okay."

Jack could see the doubt written on Sun's face and shining in her dull, glazed over eyes. Like nearly everyone, she was exhausted. But worse, she was worried out of her mind not only for herself, but for her husband, who they all knew, was most likely dead or in great danger.

Turning his head, Jack looked over to meet Kate's gaze. She looked amazingly unfazed by everything. To Jack, she seemed almost fearless. He couldn't think of a time when he had admired Kate more than he did just then. She was like a tiny ray of light shining through the dark, urging him to go on despite the chaos.

"So what now?" Charlie finally spoke up, breaking Jack away from his brief moment of peace.

"Until we know what we're up against, we should all stay here at the caves," Jack said, thumbing through his mind to come up with a plan that everyone would agree with, "We can place a guard at every entrance of the caves and they can be rotated in shifts. Do I have any volunteers?"

Jack's eyes scanned the crowd as hands began popping up here and there, volunteering for the job. He was glad that they were willing, because he didn't want to have to beg. Jack wasn't surprised when Charlie and Sayid immediately raised their hands. Both of them were usually involved and ready to do whatever was needed.

Several other men raised their hands and soon Jack had more than enough people to handle the job. He was surprised though, when he realized that neither Kate or Locke had been amongst the volunteers. Locke, he could almost understand. He never knew what that man was going to do next, but Kate? Kate had him stumped. She was always the first to volunteer for everything. He had been expecting having to talk her out of it, to tell her that it was too dangerous. He had to wonder why not now when it was most needed.

Just as Jack was considering this, he noticed Locke walking across the length of the caves, heading for a pile of supplies.

"John!" Jack called from across the caves, "What are you doing?"

Locke looked up from what he was doing, fiddling with what appeared to be some thick wire and ropes and locked eyes with Jack, "I'm getting some cable."

Inwardly sighing, Jack knew in the pit of his stomach that Locke was up to something. He also had a sickening suspicion that whatever that something was, he wouldn't like it.

"What for?" Jack asked, inwardly sighing at the situation. He could feel the eyes of the rest of the survivors watching this exchange with interest.

Locke stood up, a length of cable slung over his shoulder and a coil of rope in his free hand. He turned to face Jack, eyes solemn, "It's for the hatch. I'm going in."

This time, Jack really did sigh. He should have known that Locke wouldn't give up with the hatch so easily. The man had let the hatch cost Boone his life, so why should he give up on it now, just because Jack had asked him to?

"Do you really think that's the smartest thing to do right now, John?" Jack asked, frustrated. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere with this conversation, but he had to try.

"I doubt it," Locke said, almost jokingly. It seemed to Jack as though the older man never took anything seriously, "In fact, you're right. The safest thing is to stay here, wait for morning, wait for these others, to see if they show up, wait for the brave folks on the raft to bring help…but me, I'm tired of waiting."

Locke didn't offer Jack anymore of an explanation. He didn't even give Jack the chance to respond or to argue. He simply nodded his head at Jack and heading off down the trail to the hatch with a skip in his step.

Jack didn't have the strength or the will to go after him. Deep down, he knew it probably wouldn't do him any good anyway. The fact was, Jack and Locke were two completely different men. Jack was a man of science. A man that believed that accidents happened. That not all things happened for a reason. But Locke believed the opposite. He believed in destiny and chance. Things that Jack could never see eye to eye with.

Sighing, Jack went back to the medical tent to check on Walt. He thought that it would probably be best if he stayed up through the night with the boy. He knew that he wasn't going to be getting any sleep anyway, no matter how much he wanted to.

As Jack made his way to the medical cave, he couldn't help but notice Kate's eyes on him, her gaze following him as he walked. He could almost feel her shift her gaze away from him, to the trail to the hatch that Locke had disappeared down only minutes before.

Hours later, it was nearly time for Jack to take his shift guarding the entrance to the caves. He sat slumped over on the worn cot in the medical cave, head in his hands. Exhausted wasn't even the word for how tired he was. Jack hadn't slept for days on end ever since this supposed threat of the Others came up. Just now, in the quiet atmosphere of the caves, with the rest of the survivors lounging out in the open, softly snoring, it was all Jack could do not to simply allow himself to drift off too.

Parting his fingers so that he could glance to his left, Jack saw Walt sprawled out on the airline seat. Jack's heart went out to the boy. He couldn't imagine how terrifying everything must be. As brave and as grown up as he had known Walt to be for his age, the truth was, he was still a child. Physically, Jack knew that Walt would be okay. But emotionally? He was alone on a deserted island with over forty complete strangers. Sure, Walt was beginning to remember names here and there, but what was a name in all of this?

"Jack?"

A soft, almost silent voice interrupted Jack's troubled thoughts, breaking the silence. Almost relieved, Jack wearily lifted his head from his hands, turning to look towards the entrance to his cave. His breath caught ever so briefly in his throat when he saw that it was Kate standing there in the entrance, calling his name.

She was beautiful, standing there in the dim firelight from the torches at the entrance of Jack's cave. The light of the fire reflected dimly in her eyes, shadows dancing mysteriously on her pale face. Jack realized suddenly that he was staring.

"Yeah?" Jack responded after a moment, almost awkwardly. It was then, as gazed at her again, meeting her eyes, that he knew something was on her mind. Her eyes looked almost pained, even slightly guilty.

Jack flashed her a small smile. His heart stirred when he saw a returning smile light up her face, as if driving whatever tension had previously been there from her eyes. A warmth spread over Jack, pushing away at his exhaustion as she began walking forward, approaching him. She stood before him, almost awkwardly, as if in hesitation of standing beneath his gaze.

To break the sudden and unwanted tension, Jack lifted a hand to pat the cot next to him, inviting her to sit. A look of pure relief washed over her face, bringing out another smile on her lips. As she took a seat next to him, Jack felt her brush gently against him, the fabric of her thin white over shirt raking lightly across his shoulder. After she had settled, she made no move to shift away. Instead, she allowed herself to be pressed close to him, their shoulders crushed together.

Silence loomed over them in this moment, as if both were reveling in the mere feel of it. Many times, it was like this with them. Just quiet. Peaceful. A time when they could just soak in the other's company.

"So, do you believe it?" Kate broke the silence, voice revealing a hint of hesitation.

"Believe what?" Jack asked in return, slightly caught off guard.

"That everything's going to be okay…" Kate replied, this time her voice more sure.

Jack was taken aback by this. Was he imagining things? Was Kate truly looking to _him_ for assurance? So many times, it seemed as though things were the other way around. It always seemed that his role as leader on the island was cause for him falling to pieces and Kate there to pull him back together.

"Yeah, I do," Jack responded, not entirely sure he wasn't lying.

"Kind of unlike you…" Kate offered in response, voice slightly amused, "the whole glass half full thing…"

Turning to face her, Jack found her eyes bearing down upon him. The fire was dancing in her eyes, illuminating her face beautifully against the dark backdrop of the cave. He couldn't help but chuckle, smiling at the portrait her face painted in the flickering light, "There's a glass?"

Kate's lips twisted into a smile at this, her eyes dancing. Suddenly though, that look of pained distress crossed her face. It was only for a mere fraction of a second, but it was there just long enough for Jack to take notice of it before it disappeared. Kate shifted her gaze down to look at the floor.

"How's Walt?" Kate voiced suddenly, bringing her eyes back up to look at him.

"Physically, he's doing fine…" Jack replied, eyes flashing a look of pure frustration just at the thought of Walt's condition, "But emotionally…"

"So he doesn't remember anything?" Kate asked, voice laced with pity, eyes briefly downcast.

"He remembers a few of us, but only by name," Jack replied, his voice now in doctor mode, "He remembers everything before the crash though. His mom, Michael, even Vincent. He also describes some brief flashes of memory on the island, but nothing useful about the Others…"

"So you believe they exist? The Others?" Kate asked, noting the skeptical tone of Jack's voice. She honestly didn't know what she believed anymore.

"I don't know…"Jack said tentatively, eyes suddenly distant, "Everything I've ever learned tells me that its impossible, but the things I've seen lately….I just don't know."

"Mmm," she replied, understanding what he was saying.

"But its funny…" Jack continued a few moments later, as if considering whether or not he even had more to say, "Walt, his condition, his memory… its just like Claire. Everything about this situation, its just like what happened with Claire. With Ethan…"

Kate shivered at the mere thought of Claire's abduction and then mysterious return. As a person who set her freedom as the most valuable thing in her life, the only thing she had any control over, Kate couldn't imagine anything more terrifying. She didn't know what to think about how identical Walt's situation was to Claire's. Was it just a coincidence? Was there even such a thing as mere coincidences on the island?

Jack and Kate sat in a thoughtful silence for several minutes. Their thoughts were jumbled, plagued with uncertainty. This wasn't like the usual silence between them. It wasn't the warm feeling of just soaking up the other's company, or deep in peaceful thoughts. It was laced with a fiery tension. A tension that had threatened to consume them since the day they crashed on this island well over a month ago. After a while though, Kate spoke, once again unable to stand the silence.

"You did a good thing, you know…."Kate began, once again gazing intently at Jack. His head snapped up to look at her, their eyes meeting with a fiery intensity, "Saying what you said…taking care of everybody and just giving them something to count on."

Jack found himself blushing furiously at her turn of conversation, his eyes darting uncomfortably to the floor. And then he felt her hand brush his shoulder, resting there. Her grip was soft, reassuring. When Jack lifted his head to gaze at her once more, their eyes meeting, she offered him a small smile. A smile that told Jack that she was proud of him. He returned her smile, albeit a little uncomfortably.

"You can't take it lightly, what you do…" Kate continued, Jack's face growing hot, "I can't begin to tell you how many times I've felt completely lost, and you've always been there to bring me back up. If you weren't here, Jack…"

"And what do you think keeps me going, Kate?" Jack replied, eyes flickering with a new emotion, "How many times have I completely fallen apart, only for you to pick up the pieces…"

This time it was Kate's turn to blush, her eyes flickering awkwardly away, gazing at the floor. In this moment, this utterly raw and vulnerable moment, Jack felt as though he were under some sort of deep spell.

Reaching forward, not stopping to even think about what he was doing, Jack lifted his hand, cupping her face. He heard her draw in a sharp breath in surprise, her eyes shifting up to meet his as he lightly tilted her chin up to face him.

As if in a dream, Kate found herself leaning forward, pressing closer to Jack. She thought that her heart might stop when she saw him slowly bring his face down toward her own, eyes dancing in the dim firelight.

Their faces only inches apart, Jack could feel the warmth of her breath against his face. His heart was pounding madly against his chest as he gazed deeply into her eyes, not looking over the fear that was clearly written there. The fear of getting close. The fear of loss.

And suddenly, Kate withdrew. As quickly as this aura of raw emotion and honesty had come up, it was dashed as she pulled away, brushing his hand from her face and moving back. It took Jack a moment to register his shock at her actions, feeling as though the moment had been so right. But now it was gone.

Before he could question her, or allow her name to reach his lips, Kate hurriedly spoke up, "I'm going to the hatch," she said firmly, voice rushed. A look of pure guilt was written clearly on her face, etched into her features.

"I understand why you can't go," Kate continued quickly, not allowing him to interrupt her or to protest, "They need you here. I get it. I do. But Locke's going into that thing whether you like it or not. And if he falls and breaks his neck? Live together die alone, right?"

Jack was completely stunned. How had it come to this? How had that moment of peace, that wonderful moment that had felt so _right_ turned into this? Jack suddenly found himself inwardly cursing both Locke and the hatch.

"Right…" Jack said lamely, the light disappearing from his eyes as he let out a breath of air in frustration, "Right…" Jack repeated, not daring to meet her gaze.

"You aren't going to try and talk me out of it?" Kate questioned skeptically, eyeing Jack with suspicion.

"I think we're _way_ past that point, Kate…" Jack replied, voice downcast.

"Alright then…" Kate said awkwardly, Jack's willingness to just let her go completely taking her by surprise.

"Alright…"Jack echoed lamely, unsure of what else he could say.

Without another word, Kate began to rise from the cot, her eyes darting away from Jack's form, her back turned to him. She had felt the simple feeling of just peace, of everything being just _right._ She wasn't sure if it was her nerves or her actual desire to go help Locke that made her break away so quickly. Maybe it was just her nature.

And suddenly, as Jack watched her get up off the cot, he knew that he just couldn't let this moment pass. He felt a sudden sense of urgency, as if this were his last chance. Thrusting his had forward, he grabbed her wrist, gently gripping it as he quickly rose from where he sat, now standing at her level.

"Kate!" Jack called out hastily, voice laced with urgency, "Wait…" his voice suddenly gentle.

For a split second, Jack stood there feeling his nerves begin to get the best of him, making him question his actions. He could feel her questioning gaze burn into him. But that moment was soon over as he gently tugged at her wrist, bringing her to press up against him. In that same moment, he hastily brought his face down to meet hers, lips locking in a kiss.

Jack could hardly believe what he was doing as he brought his free hand behind her back, deepening the kiss as he pushed her closer to him, pressing their bodies together. With his other hand, he let go of her wrist, knowing now that she wasn't going anywhere, and left it to rest in her hair, pressing her face closer to his.

His heart soared, pounding wildly within his chest as he felt Kate bring her hands to cup his face, his chin resting between them. She lightly massaged his face with her fingertips, letting them brush with a feather light touch over the rough skin of his face. The feeling drove him wild.

Her hands traveled from his face to his shoulders as she wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing the kiss on. Finally though, they broke apart from lack of air, but she didn't move away and neither did he. Instead, she rested her head against his, foreheads touching as they gasped for breath. Jack clamped his eyes shut, letting the passion die down within, letting his heart slow down. As he took in several long breaths, his lips twisted into a satisfied smile, knowing he had finally done what he had wanted to do for a while now.

Though Jack couldn't see it, Kate's face mimicked his smile. After a moment, she pulled back ever so slightly, letting her head rest on Jack's shoulder, her face smothered in the folds of his shirt. Lifting her head, she briefly met his gaze before looking at the ground.

"I have to go…" she said after a moment, voice holding something like regret.

"I understand…" Jack said quietly, feeling suddenly cold as she pulled out of his arms. His lips stretched into a smile when she leaned forward, tilted her head up and hastily kissed his cheek before stepping away.

His hand still gripped hers, and for a moment, he did not relinquish his hold. "Be careful," he said solemnly, eyes bearing down into her own, making sure she knew.

Kate simply nodded and he let her hand drop from his. Jack felt suddenly alone as he watched her walk out of the cave, heading for the trail to the hatch.

As Kate disappeared from view, Jack turned away from the entrance of the cave and moved to go back to the cot. Glancing down at Walt as he went, Jack noticed that the boy's lips were twisted into a smug smile, his eyes clamped shut. Inwardly chuckling, Jack wondered if Walt really had seen the exchange between him and Kate. Shaking his head, Jack went to lay down, trying not to get too comfortable, knowing that he ought to stay up and keep watch.

Nearly an hour after Kate had left for the hatch, Jack was feeling a little too at ease. He was sprawled out over the cot, using a folded airline blanket as a pillow, softly breathing. His eyelids had become heavy and he could hardly keep himself from yawning sleepily every few seconds. Sleep was slowly taking over every inch of him, consuming him.

As sleep drew so near, tempting him, Jack's thoughts drifted to Kate. He smiled sleepily, licking his lips. He could still taste her kiss there. It had been so refreshing. So calming. It was like a weight had been taken off of Jack's shoulders and he was free.

But with thoughts of Kate came worry. She had left to go help Locke with the hatch. God only knew what could possibly be awaiting them beneath that thick steel door. Would she be okay? It bothered Jack that he wouldn't be there to make sure. For a brief few moments, as sleep continued to cling to his very being, Jack considered going after her. He knew that he probably should, that a big part of him wanted to. But another part told him that he didn't have the strength just now. And as Jack drifted off, sleep finally claiming him, he let that part win. In that moment, his last thought was that whatever was happening, it could wait until morning.

(In the jungle…)

For the first time in a long time, Kate felt her nerves begin to kick in as she made her way down the path to the hatch. She couldn't quite put a finger on what it was exactly that made her nervous, on edge, but maybe that's just what it was. The unknown. _You'd think I'd be used to it by now_, Kate thought grimly. Life on the run was full of uncertainties. She never knew what awaited her. But this? This was different.

What if inside the hatch, there was something they could use to call for help? Kate's heart pounded anxiously in her chest at the thought. She knew that it was selfish, but there was very little of her that actually hoped for a rescue. What did she have to return to? Life on the run, if she was lucky. But more likely than that, the rest of her life in a high security prison.

Kate's head snapped up, body frozen as she heard a sound from nearby. Turning her head, she could tell that whatever it was, it had come from just off the trail to her right. As quickly as the sound had come, it was gone. But Kate still didn't move on. Instead, she let her eyes travel through the jungle surrounding her.

_"Be careful…"_

Jack's parting words to her rang clearly in Kate's mind. Be careful. The words ran through her head, like a mantra, as she scanned the area.

Still, Kate saw nothing. Stirred though she was, she felt sure that it had been nothing and once again began moving down the trail, this time much more alert of her surroundings.

And then Kate heard it. The same misplaced sound as before. It was light, almost unnoticeable amongst the nighttime chatter of the jungle. It was small, but unmistakably there. In these last brief moments of fearless rationality, Kate couldn't quite place the sound. It was so quiet, yet sharp and piercing. It made her ears ring as though it had been magnified in her mind. It was continuous, constant. And, Kate decided, there was only one word that could possibly begin to describe it. Whispers.

_"I heard whispers…"_

_"Where?"_

_"Everywhere…"_

Whispers. _Whispers_. Shannon had said she heard whispering sounds in the jungle when she found Walt. Kate hadn't known what to think at the time, but now, she found herself wishing she had paid closer attention.

_"The boy…"_

Kate gasped as tiny fragments of the whispers became suddenly clear.

_"The boy…the boy…."_

The intensity of the whispers grew stronger, and Kate could've sworn that all around her, the temperature of the jungle dropped. She could even feel the beginning of a chill running down her spine, goose bumps now covering her skin.

_"The boy, we want the boy…."_

And as the air around Kate became suddenly chill and thick, she felt the urge to run. She bolted immediately, racing the opposite direction that she had previously been traveling, now heading back to the caves. To Jack.

The whispers grew louder, and now Kate wasn't so sure that they weren't just in her mind and not really there at all. They were all around her. Everywhere.

_"Bring us the boy…"_

Kate could feel the cool, unforgiving feeling of terror washing over her very being, coursing like wildfire through her veins. It felt almost as if the very world around her was spinning, moving right out from under her feet as she ran.

And finally, like a tiny beacon of hope on the horizon, Kate could see the dim, flickering light of the torches from the caves. She had never been more relieved to see anything in her life! She picked up her pace, ignoring her body's protests.

The whispers suddenly became more furious in her ear, plaguing her mind. Kate had to get away from them. Fast. "Jack!" Kate called out, knowing that he was likely still awake and hoping that he would hear her.

Suddenly, Kate's breath caught painfully in her throat as she tripped, falling face first towards the moist jungle floor. Face now planted in the dirt, her arms covered in scrapes from the fall, Kate was horrified to hear the whispers turn into a sort of laughter.

Lifting her head, Kate stifled a scream, eyes wide and what she was seeing. There was a figure, dark and looming, standing tall just in front of her. The figure was no more than a hundred feet away, standing still as a statue. Kate knew, even in the dim light, that this was a man and that he wasn't one of the other survivors.

Rising slowly to her feet, Kate noted that he wore loose fitting beige pants and a faded and worn white cotton shirt that buttoned up the front. His hair, grown out passed his ears, was flapping carelessly in the wind. Though his face was shadowed, Kate knew by feeling that his eyes were bearing down on her.

"Kate," his voice was smooth, almost curious. But there was a cold edge to it. A hint of the unknown. At the sight of him and after hearing him speak her name, only one word could surface in Kate's mind. The _Others._

Breathing hard, body shaking uncontrollably from the fear, Kate tried to scream, but was unable to utter a sound. Feeling completely helpless, Kate dashed off, straight at the man. He stood completely still, as though unmoved by her sudden action.

And before Kate could even get close to him, she felt the sickening feeling of losing her balance. She began falling backwards, eyes darting up to the jungle canopy and to the stars beyond.

Kate didn't even have time to scream as she fell, for suddenly, the painful sensation of falling came to a slow as she fell solidly into waiting arms. She felt rough, calloused hands tightly grip her shoulders, pulling her swiftly to her feet. She had no time to react as a thin white cloth was shoved over her face, cutting off her breathing.

As Kate inhaled the unknown aroma from the cloth, her eyelids suddenly became heavy and her weight too much for her legs to bear. She fell back into the strong arms that surrounded her, the world around her slowly fading into black.

And as she drifted off into the darkness, Kate uttered one final word, "Jack…"

**A/N:** Dun, dun, dun. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! As always, feedback would be greatly appreciated, so please review. I'll hopefully have an update up later this week. Oh, and I just thought I'd remind you guys about the question I asked in my previous A/N. If you know ANYTHING about how to transfer an itunes library to a different computer, then please let me know. And don't forget to review!


	3. Without A Trace

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry this update took a while. Like I said in my last chapter, I've been very busy with the movie I'm filming for class. Especially this week when I have to make some huge changes with the script. Unfortunately, I haven't even started writing chapter 3 (I usually like to stay about 1 chapter ahead of the game…), but the good news is, I managed to come up with a full outline all the way up to chapter 13, which is close to the end. I think. Lol. So anyway, I guess that's _something_. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the next chapter up soon.

Anyway, here's chapter 2. I hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or ideas that you recognize.

**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 2: Without A Trace**

Jack was drawn out of his peaceful, dreamless sleep by sunlight leaking in through the entrance of the cave. It shone directly into Jack's face, making it impossible for him to continue sleeping, despite the fact that he had already rolled over in protest. Groaning, Jack wearily opened his eyes, blinking furiously at the protruding light.

The bustling sounds of morning at the caves immediately met Jack's ears, entering his consciousness. Again, Jack groaned. It was another day, with new problems and more likely than not, no rest. Yawning, Jack lifted his head from his makeshift pillow and glanced down past the cot he was laying on to the airline seat. It was empty. Jack was slightly taken aback at this discovery, knowing that it was rare for anyone to be up before him. _Then again_, Jack reminded himself, _I did sleep in_.

Throwing his legs over the side of the cot, Jack pulled himself to his feet, almost reluctantly. His joints felt tight and his muscles strained. Though he had by some miracle slept soundly, by no means did he sleep comfortably. Worn, muddy jeans and a shabby, one-time dress shirt did not exactly qualify as comfortable sleepwear, Jack thought meekly.

Shuffling around in the back of the cave, Jack found the half falling apart forest green duffle bag full of clothes he had been using. He began rummaging through it, looking for some fresh clothes. Pulling out a white cotton t-shirt and a loose fitting pair of jeans, Jack quickly worked his way out of his own clothes and threw on the "new" ones.

As he hastily dressed, his mind drifted to what he was going to have to do today. If he was completely honest with himself, Jack didn't even want to go out there. To face them. Any of them. He knew that as soon as he did, the constant, stressful cycle that was his life on this God-forsaken island would once again start. After all that had happened in this past month, Jack was worn out. Just when he needed a rest, an even bigger problem, like the hatch, reared its ugly head. Now that was something he was definitely going to have to deal with today.

While thoughts of the hatch flew through Jack's only half aware mind, a new image began to fill his mind. Kate. Kate would be out there, probably talking about what she had found in the hatch last night. There at least was something Jack didn't have to dread. She was like the calm in the middle of a storm.

Jack couldn't help but smile smugly as he thought about what had happened between him and Kate last night before she left for the hatch. He had finally gotten up the nerve to be open with her and they had kissed. It had been like a breath of fresh air for Jack.

With these thoughts in mind, Jack left his cave and moved out into the open. Many of the survivors were lounging around out in the open, talking and eating whatever they had managed to scratch up for breakfast. Jack saw Locke from across the caves and had to push down the temptation to go over and question him about the hatch. That could wait until later. Right now, he just wanted to find Kate.

Jack couldn't see her anywhere amongst the crowd. Spotting Hurley, Jack walked over to him and asked, "Hurley, have you seen Kate?"

"No man, not since last night," Hurley replied, shaking his head, "Why? Did you need her or something?"

"No, not exactly. I just wanted to know how things went at the hatch last night," Jack responded, feeling a little unsettled at the look on Hurley's face.

"Um, she didn't go with him to the hatch," Hurley replied, "Locke said he couldn't lower himself down the thing by himself last night…"

"What? That's not possible…"Jack voiced, trying unsuccessfully to hide the panic from his voice, "I saw her head off after him last night. That's where she said she was going."

"Sorry, man," Hurley replied, looking slightly confused, "Ask Locke. He said he did it on his own."

"Right…"Jack said, now inwardly panicking at the information, "Thanks, Hurley."

Without warning, Jack immediately turned away from Hurley and stormed off across the length of the caves to where he had seen Locke sitting. Jack found him sitting by the fire, peeling a mango with his knife.

"John!" Jack called as he approached him, trying to keep calm.

"Morning, Jack," Locke responded, lips twisting into a smile.

"John, what happened at the hatch last night?" Jack asked quickly, not bothering to beat around the bush. He was certain that all of this was just some big misunderstanding, "Where's Kate?"

"Don't know," Locke replied, turning his attention back to peeling the fruit, "I was expecting her to come help with the hatch last night, but she never came. I couldn't figure out a way to get down it myself, so I came back to camp."

"But I saw her head out there after you last night!" Jack responded, unable to keep his voice from rising to a slight yell.

"I told you, Jack, she never came…" Locke responded, looking up from his knife, "Have you asked any of the other survivors?"

"But you _had_ to have seen her!" Jack continued, now clearly panicking. This just couldn't be happening. Hadn't his last words to her been to be careful? This just had to be some mistake.

"Well I didn't," Locke responded, unwilling to explain himself again.

Fuming, Jack turned away from Locke and ran over to the first survivor he saw. Charlie.

"Charlie, have you seen Kate?" Jack asked, voice rushed.

"I haven't," Charlie responded, not catching the growing fear in Jack's voice, "Sorry, Jack.."

This couldn't be happening. It just wasn't possible. Kate had to be okay. Someone just had to have seen her this morning, he was sure of it.

"Claire!" Jack called, moving away from Charlie, "Have you seen Kate?"

"No, not since last night…" Claire responded, shifting the sleeping Aaron in her arms.

Without even bothering to respond, Jack raced over to Sayid. The man just _had_ to know something. He had been guarding the entrance to the caves the previous night when Kate left for the hatch. Sayid had to have seen her.

"Sayid!" Jack called, running up to him. Sayid looked Jack over, eyes concerned as he noticed the obvious panic in Jack's demeanor.

"Is something wrong?" Sayid asked, voice calm.

"Yes," Jack responded quickly, breathing hard, "Last night, Kate left the caves to help Locke with the hatch. Just now, I talked to Locke and he said she never showed up. Now, I can't find her anywhere and no one I've asked has seen her. You were guarding the entrance to the caves last night when she left. Did you see her?"

Sayid shook his head, eyes averted from Jack as he allowed himself a moment to process what Jack had just told him. "No, I haven't seen her, but you should ask Mark. He was watching the side that leads to the hatch," Sayid responded, as calm as ever.

"Who's Mark?" Jack asked, suddenly confused. Mark was just one of the many survivors he hadn't had the chance to memorize by name.

"That man, over there, in the brown shirt," Sayid responded, pointing over by the fire in the center of the caves.

Jack could feel the raging beat of his heart pounding relentlessly in his ears as he turned away from Sayid and raced hurriedly over to the man Sayid had called Mark.

"Mark!" Jack called over the commotion of the caves. Mark was a much younger man than Jack, probably no more than twenty-two. He had sharp features and a mass of curly black hair atop his head. His head snapped up at the sound of his name.

"Yeah?" he asked, green eyes gazing up at Jack.

Taking a deep breath, Jack finally found his voice, "Were you watching the trail to the hatch last night?"

"Um, yeah…" Mark responded, looking taken aback at Jack's worn appearance. Jack was breathing hard now, the fear and panic in his mind making him frustrated and hurried.

"Did you see a woman, somewhere in her late twenties, head down that trail late last night?" Jack asked, hardly able to contain himself.

To Jack's surprise, the young man blushed at the mention, eyes darting guiltily away from Jack's, "Um," he said shakily, clearly nervous, "I…didn't see much last night…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked angrily, frustrated with the young man's hesitance.

"I…," the young man began, unable to meet Jack's eyes. Jack was quickly growing impatient with him, needing answers _now_, "I sort of fell asleep…"

"You _what_?" Jack questioned furiously, stepping closer to the young man.

"I'm sorry, okay! I thought I could handle it, staying up all night, but I fell asleep!" the young man yelled defensively, only fueling Jack's anger further, "I'm sorry!"

Jack reached forward, grabbing the front of the young man's shirt, angrily tugging him forward. Mark jerked against his will towards Jack, shocked at Jack's sudden outburst.

"Do you have any idea what kind of responsibility you were given!" Jack questioned him, furious as he refused to release his grip on the man's shirt, "What the hell were you doing, taking that job!"

"Jack!" came Sayid's voice as the man jogged up behind them, "Is there a problem?"

"Yes!" Jack yelled, dropping his hold on the man's shirt, "He fell asleep last night!"

"I said I was sorry!" the young man protested, now getting angry at Jack.

"Do you have any idea what you did!" Jack yelled, "She's missing because of you!"

"What? _Who_?" the young man asked, eyes wide. He was suddenly getting the picture.

"Jack, Kate's missing then?" Sayid asked, raising his voice so that he could be heard over the argument.

"Yes!" Jack responded, frustrated with everyone, everything. Most of all, he was frustrated with himself. "She never made it to the hatch last night and no one's seen her since!"

"Are you sure? Did you ask everyone?" Sayid questioned, clearly concerned. Sayid knew that with things the way they were with these supposed Others, Kate's disappearance was anything but good.

"I don't have time for this…" Jack muttered, turning away from Sayid and heading towards the trail to the hatch.

"What's going on?" Charlie called to them as he came sprinting over, "What's with all the commotion?"

"Kate's missing," Sayid informed him, making a move to walk passed him and after Jack.

"What?" Charlie called out, walking quickly after Sayid as the man brushed past him, "When? Is she alright?"

"We don't know," Sayid muttered, not turning to face Charlie as he rushed after Jack, "Jack!"

Without warning, Jack whipped around to face Sayid, eyes alight with anger and frustration, "What?" he spat, glaring down both Charlie and Sayid.

"Where are you going?" Sayid asked, unmoved by Jack's outburst. Charlie stood slightly behind him, watching Jack in surprise.

"I'm going after her…" Jack said, looking exasperated as he gazed directly into Sayid's line of vision.

"What?" Charlie asked, taken aback, "Are you out of your bloody mind?"

"Charlie's right," Sayid piped in quickly, not letting Jack immediately respond, "You can't go out there alone. Its not safe."

"I don't care!" Jack nearly yelled at them, voice shaking ever so slightly. He could feel himself getting choked up in frustration, worried out of his mind, "She could be out there somewhere hurt or in trouble or God knows what on this island. I'm not going to let that happen. Not now. Not when I can do something…" Now there really were tears beginning to form in Jack's eyes. Briefly clamping his eyes shut and taking a deep breath to push them back, he continued, "I'm not just going to leave her…"

Neither Charlie or Sayid spoke up after Jack finished. Both were too stunned for words, taken aback by what Jack had said. When Jack turned away from them once more and headed for the trail to the hatch though, Sayid found his bearings again and called out, "Jack!" But he received no answer or recognition. Jack just kept going, moving out of sight.

As soon as Jack was out of sight of the caves, he broke into a run. With each step he took, more panicked thoughts of worry clouded his mind, pushing him forward. Scanning the area frantically, Jack didn't catch sight of anything out of the ordinary. He was just certain that any moment, he would spot her. How he would find her, he didn't know. As much as he didn't want to think about it, Jack found himself flipping through countless images in his mind, scenarios of what might have happened. None of them were good.

With an image of Kate sprawled out, half dead off to the side of the trail, Jack pushed forward with a vengeance. If she was here, if she had been hurt, he had to find her in time. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't.

"Kate!" Jack called out, hoping that she might still be able to hear him, where ever she was. Eyes burning with the unshed tears that were forming, Jack felt like his world was coming to an end. _This is all my fault_, Jack told himself furiously, boiling in self loathing. As much as Jack wanted to blame all of this on Mark or Locke or _anyone_, he knew that deep down, there was only one person to blame. Himself.

If only he hadn't let her go off alone last night. Maybe then, nothing would have happened to her. He could have protected her. He could have stopped whatever it was that harmed her. And in the pit of his stomach, Jack knew that she wasn't alright. Though he had left the caves with that hope, he knew now that it was a false one. Something simply had to have happened to her. She wouldn't have stayed out here this long and most of all, she wouldn't have just not gone to the hatch.

"_Kate_!" Jack called out at the top of his lungs, now completely desperate. He was almost to the hatch. He had almost covered all of the path that she would have taken and yet he hadn't found her. Words couldn't begin to describe what he was feeling just now.

Nearly an hour had passed since Jack had fled from the caves, out on a desperate search to find Kate. But still he had found nothing and now he was at the end of his rope. Jack let out a desperate cry of misery and frustration as he whipped around the corner, suddenly stumbling upon a clearing. The hatch. He had reached the hatch. _Damn_….

An utter feeling of complete hopelessness and dread washed over him as the hatch came into view. Jack had covered all the ground and he hadn't found her. He had done all that he knew how to do, going by the only information he had, and nothing. She was gone.

And in that moment, that moment of complete torture when Jack knew that he had failed, all hell broke loose in his mind. In a sudden, uncontrolled fury, Jack raced toward the hatch with a cry of frustration. Anger consuming him, Jack kicked the hatch door with all his might, screaming with every move he made. Pain rushed like wildfire up his leg, but Jack paid it no heed. Kate was gone. She was _gone_. And he had failed her. Utterly and miserably failed her.

Falling into a sudden heap on the ground, Jack couldn't take it anymore. The guilt. Frustration. The feeling of utter and complete loss. Sharp splinters of pain coursed up from his foot to his shin and up to the base of his knee, but Jack couldn't have cared less. The leg could've fallen off and burst into flames that very moment for all he cared. And through it all, one thought, one single, agonizing and terrifying thought rang clear in Jack's mind, running on like a mantra.

_I love her…_

And that was what it had to be, Jack thought grimly. Silly as it was. Strange as it was. As completely and utterly improbable and unwise as it was, Jack knew that it was ultimately the truth. _I love her._ Though he had known her for little more than a month, he loved her. She was a criminal and she lied and he loved her. She couldn't be open with him and was more likely to run from him than to embrace him and through it all, he loved her.

Unable to stand any of it any longer, the tears that Jack had been fighting off from the moment he knew that Kate hadn't returned to the caves finally broke free. One single persistent tear burned a thin trail down Jack's face, rolling down his cheek. He made no move to brush it away. Soon another followed. And then another. Until finally, tears poured steadily down Jack's face and he found himself crying. Nearly sobbing. Unable to take the fact that he had probably lost the person that he had ultimately come to care the most for. The person he had loved.

Footsteps. The sound of leaves and twigs crushing beneath someone's feet met Jack's ears, drawing him wearily from his thoughts. His head snapped up, almost daring to let himself hope that it would be Kate coming through the brush. Coming to tell him that it had all been a terrible misunderstanding. That she had been at the caves the entire time. Alive. Safe.

"Jack!"

Jack whipped his head around to see where the voice was coming from. He immediately saw Sayid step into the clearing from the path that led back to the caves. His heart sunk.

"Jack, are you alright?" Sayid called to him as he approached him, breathing hard from having run down the whole trail, "Did you find her?"

"No," Jack said simply, shaking his head in defeat.

In that moment, there was silence. Sayid glanced uncomfortably around the clearing, not knowing if he should expect some kind of danger and unable to watch Jack break down like this. Jack was the leader. He was the one that everyone could trust. That everyone could put their faith in. But to see him in shambles like this, Sayid felt a sense of dread come upon him.

"Damn it, Sayid!" Jack said suddenly, shocking Sayid out of his own thoughts, "Its my fault…all of it…"

"What are you talking about?" Sayid questioned, amazed that Jack could be pinning the blame on himself, "How can this be your fault?"

"I let her go. I could've gone with her. I could've protected her…" Jack said, voice broken, "But I didn't. And do you know what I did instead? I slept. Slept!"

"Jack, there was nothing that you could've done," Sayid replied, voice serious, "If you had been with her, then perhaps you would be missing too. Maybe even dead."

"It doesn't matter," Jack answered, voice revealing his sense of defeat, "It should've been me."

"We don't know that she's dead yet," Sayid said, gazing down sympathetically at Jack, "But making a wild search out there on your own is madness. Lets go back to the caves. We can start a search party. This isn't over yet. We're going to find her."

There was a long pause. So many things were racing through Jack's mind just now, jumbling his thoughts. "You're right…" Jack said finally, wearily pulling himself to his feet, "Lets go…"

Pain. That was the first thing that registered in Kate's mind as she groggily began to open her eyes. The process was slow, her vision coming in foggy at first before gradually clearing. Her eyelids felt heavy, as if they were weighted down against her face. Though Kate knew without looking that she was covered in bruises and scrapes, the only pain she felt just now was a dull ache in her head that grew piercingly sharp as her vision cleared.

The pain spread out over her head and face at a torturously slow pace, making Kate feel as though her very skull was splintering from the force. Groaning, Kate's vision finally cleared. And then in an agonizing rush of memory, everything that had happened came back to her mind. The whispers. The figure at the end of the trail. Being taken.

"She's awake," came the unknown voice of a man. It sounded eerily calm.

At hearing his voice, Kate immediately attempted to lift her head and sit up so that she could get a good look at him, but she found herself unable to move. The chloroform had been strong and would leave her completely helpless for quite a while, she knew. Cursing under her breath, Kate wished that she could move properly, even _thinking_ properly would be something.

"Bring her," A new voice, though its tone was very similar, broke the strange silence in the room. This time, the voice came through some sort of radio or speaker, Kate realized, noting the scratching sounds from the static. Swallowing hard, Kate began to realize that it was possible she wasn't even on the island anymore. Whoever her captors were, they had technology that no deserted island should have.

There was a shuffling of feet as not one, but two men came into Kate's limited line of vision. Kate hissed in pain, drawing in a sharp breath as two pairs of hands roughly gripped her upper arms and torso, holding her hard enough to begin to leave bruising. Kate winced at the sensation, already sore and groggy from the chloroform and whatever they had dragged her through while she had been out.

Half heartedly, Kate struggled within their grasp, body physically unable to do more just now. Without warning, the blond haired man that tightly gripped her right side reached out swiftly and backhanded her across the face. Letting out a strangled yelp of surprise, Kate immediately felt the sore, stinging sensation on her cheek.

"Quiet," the blonde barked, tone bland, almost uninterested, but unkind none the less.

Kate felt as if her arms were going to be forced out of their sockets as the two men dragged her more than carried her to where ever it was they were going. As if in a haze, Kate began to turn her head painfully to each side, taking in each man's appearance. The man on her right, the blonde one that had hit her, looked to be in his mid thirties. He wore a pair of loose fitting khaki pants and a white cotton shirt that buttoned up the front. The man to her left wore nearly identical clothing, but he was much younger and his hair was darker. Both men wore a look of utmost seriousness, their eyes directed only to what was in front of them. Not once had they glanced down at Kate.

After what had felt like an eternity, they came to a stop. Kate's body swung forward slightly, increasing her dizziness. She had no way of knowing how many turns they had made or the number of halls they had passed, but she did know that it was quite a distance from whatever room they had been holding her in.

The blonde man reached out and punched a yellow button that stuck out brilliantly against the never ending white washed walls. It was then that Kate noticed the large stainless steel door beside the button. After the man pressed the button, the door slid open, gradually disappearing into the wall, much like an elevator door. As soon as the two men had dragged her inside, the door slid rapidly shut, clicking as it closed, sealing shut.

Once the door had closed, the two men roughly threw Kate's still limp form onto the cold concrete floor of the room, taking a step back as if in attendance. Again, her mind swirled with a dizzy feeling of nausea. _Must be the chloroform, _she thought hazily. Kate was dimly aware of a third presence in the room, though she was too sore and exhausted to lift her head to properly look.

From no more than a yard in front of where she lay, she could hear a man clear his throat. Without looking, she knew that the two men that had brought her were waiting for something from this new figure.

"The tank," he said simply, voice grizzled and deep. Just like the other two men, this new man's voice held little emotion, if any. Only a serious, almost raw demeanor.

Kate didn't have time to even consider the meaning of this unknown man's words before the two men that had brought her once again had her in their grip. They lifted her none to gently to her feet, dragging her across the room. Moaning, Kate managed to lift her head up and hold it there. Now, able to see what was in front of her, she was perhaps more confused.

Just in front of them was a large steel cylinder with a concrete staircase that reached to its rim. It had to be well over ten feet high, but was rather slim. Kate's confusion turned to worry as the men began pushing and pulling her up the concrete stairs until they reached the top. The blonde let go of his tight hold on her, stepping forward and onto the top of the cylinder. He took hold of a metal wheel like object and began turning until he was able to lift up the lid of the cylinder.

As Kate attempted to peek over the edge of the rim to see what was inside, the two men roughly threw her down onto the platform. The electrifying chill of the cold concrete against the exposed skin of her face and arms had barely registered in her mind before the two men were kneeling down, leaning over her. Kate screamed suddenly as she felt their rough hands moving none too gently over her body, the brown haired man pinning her to the floor while the blonde hastily began tearing away at her clothing.

Kate continued to scream and struggle in a violent panic against them as he finished removing her thin white shirt and quickly moved to her jeans. She attempted to kick at him, but was stopped as the other roughly punched her in the stomach, making her come up suddenly short for breath, gasping for air.

"No!" she cried, finally finding her voice as she struggled against the man that held her firmly pinned down, "Let me go!"

The more she fought against him, the tighter the man held her pinned to the cold floor. Kate's pulse raced madly through her veins, heart pounding without relent. In minutes, she lay beneath them in only her underclothing, feeling utterly helpless and vulnerable.

"You have one chance," the blonde said, eyes cold, "Tell us where the boy is."

Kate's mind was racked with confusion. It mixed terribly with the panic she had felt when they stripped her. _Boy?_ she thought, _What boy?_

So she answered their question the only way that she could.

"I…I don't-" she stuttered hastily, not knowing what they were threatening her with, but definitely not wanting to find out.

It wasn't good enough.

Without a word, the two men lifted her roughly up from the floor and moved over to the edge of the platform. Kate felt the sickening sensation of falling as they threw her down into the cylinder.

Expecting to painfully hit the hard steel floor of the cylinder, Kate was surprised when her body was immediately engulfed by water. Cold water. No, _painfully_ cold water. The chill washed over her entire body like an electric wave, biting against her nearly numb skin. Countless shivers ran through her body, making her already sore limbs burn.

Kate flinched as the confined space of the cylinder suddenly went pitch black. She had never felt so claustrophobic and afraid in her life. But then it all came in around her. A rumbling sound filled her ears as the cylinder began to vibrate, humming to life. The water she struggled to keep afloat in suddenly began to churn, swirling in a slow circle. Then, a buzzer went off as a high powered blast of water shot out from the wall, hitting Kate directly in the stomach.

She cried out in pain and surprise as the force of the blast pinned her against the opposite wall. The blast continued for about half a minute before it slowed and eventually stopped. When the water was still again, the crackling sound of the static filled the air.

"Where is the boy?" came the crackling, stern voice over the speaker.

Gasping for air, Kate didn't know how to answer that. She didn't even know who or what they were talking about. What boy? Before Kate could answer that, the water once again came to life and this time two high powered blasts of water shot at her, hitting each of her legs. Kate was pushed back against the wall, no longer able to tread water and stay afloat. Sinking, the water blasts traveled up her torso, knocking her breath away.

"The boy?" came the same crackling voice over the speaker, "Where is he?"

As the question barely registered in Kate's mind, a brief memory of something she had once read in a history book came into her conscious. The tank, the water, the questioning, it was all some kind of torture. They were using it to get information from her. Information she didn't have.

**A/N:** I hope you guys liked it. As always, your feedback means a lot to me, so please review. Also, I want to give a big thanks to **hilsfoolish ginger** (I hope I got your name right) for emailing me with some ideas about moving my itunes library to my new laptop. You were a HUGE help and I really appreciate you taking the time to email me with help. Thanks to you, I avoided a major head ache. Lol. Anyway, I hope to have the new chapter up soon. As I said, I haven't started it yet, but I'll probably get around to it later tonight. Don't forget to review!


	4. The Hunting Party

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm incredibly sorry that I haven't updated…I know I've mentioned it to some of you, but I've been really busy since mid-December with my class movie and that's what's kept me from working on my fanfic. Literally every second of my free time has been put into that movie and just so you know, it turned out to be a huge success. We (the Junior class at my school) won pretty much all the awards at the viewing, all except Best Movie, which is pretty much rigged so the Seniors always win. I was really proud of everyone involved, and enjoyed being a part of it myself.

Anyway, enough rambling. I finally have a new chapter written and I really hope you enjoy it and once again I'm so sorry it took this long to post it…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything that you recognize. In fact, I'm pretty sure the only thing I own in this chapter is Mark…lol…pretty pathetic…

**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 3: The Hunting Party**

The walk back to the caves felt like an eternity to Jack. It felt as though time itself was slipping through his fingers, running out. Before long, Jack could see the swirling wisps of smoke rising into the air from the caves. He could now see the silhouettes of people just over the brush, hear the bustling sounds of the other survivors going about their day. As they stepped through the remaining trees, Jack began to sense that there was a commotion at the caves. Like a looming tension. _They know_, he thought grimly, body tensing up at the thought of the task ahead of him.

"Jack!" Charlie's voice immediately met Jack's ears as he stepped into the camp.

Jack looked up to see Charlie's lanky form bounding towards him, "Jack!"

"Did you find her? Is she okay?" Charlie asked hurriedly, eyes wide in concern. Jack felt a knot begin forming in his throat, the dread in the back of his mind resurfacing, "What happened?"

"I don't know…" Jack's eyes fell to the floor, glistening with still unshed tears. Tears of frustration. Anger. Loss.

Charlie's eyes widened at Jack's response, obviously wondering just what it meant. Sayid quickly stepped forward, moving to stand by Jack.

"What?" Charlie asked, astonished, "What do you mean you don't know?"

"We don't know where she is or what's happened," Sayid said, dark eyes boring into Charlie. His voice was calm, almost hushed, as though he didn't want to stir up the other survivors. They would panic if they knew. But even as Sayid spoke, he knew that this wasn't something they could keep from the others. They had to know. Sayid could feel the tension in the air even as he spoke.

Charlie was silent for a moment, letting Sayid's words sink in. One of them was missing. Gone. And they didn't know what had happened to her or even where to look. Charlie found his mind racing back to what had happened to Claire. Even now, nearly two weeks later, it was still a mystery to them. But now another one of them has disappeared and the circumstances were all too familiar.

"What are we going to tell them?" Charlie asked, voice rushed.

At Charlie's words, Jack was suddenly aware of everyone around him. It was as though everything had stopped, that normal life at the caves had come to a brief pause. The air was laced with tension and Jack knew that everyone had to be worried out of their minds, whether they had any idea what had happened or knew nothing at all. The feeling in the air was enough to bring on a panic.

As much as Jack didn't want deal with everyone, he knew that he had to tell the other survivors what he knew. They had a right to know. The sooner he explained the situation, the sooner they could send out search parties to find Kate. And finding Kate was just about the only thought he could firmly grasp in his mind just now.

Looking out at them all, it was more than tempting to just turn away, to run back into the jungle and not look back, searching for Kate alone. But Jack knew that would accomplish nothing. Feeling their eyes burning into him, Jack finally spoke up.

"Kate's missing…" Jack said simply, voice almost cracking as he spoke. Closing his eyes tight for a fraction of a second, Jack fought to regain his bearings, struggling with himself and all that he felt.

A low rumble of excited conversation, along with several gasps from the crowd of survivors immediately filled the air. Jack felt his pulse race as he took in their reaction, knowing what they must be thinking.

"But we're going to find her…" Jack continued after a long pause, struggling to keep the emotion from his voice. It was hard, acting like this wasn't affecting him. Like it wasn't hurting him, "We need to form a search party. We can head out as soon as possible."

"Wait, you're actually going back out there?" Shannon asked skeptically, eyeing Sayid rather than Jack, who had made the statement, "What about _them_?"

"I'm not just going to leave her!" Jack nearly shouted, eyes blazing. For the first time, his feelings on all that had happened were obvious, if the other survivors hadn't guessed already. Voice choked, Jack continued, "_We_ aren't just going to leave her…" This time, his voice was softer, laced with the worry he felt.

"Jack…" came Charlie's voice from somewhere behind Shannon. Jack watched as he stepped through the crowd, pushing his way into view, "I'm coming with you. To find Kate I mean…"Charlie's pale blue eyes shone with determination and what Jack could've sworn was sympathy directed at him, "I want to help…"

"Alright…"Jack said, lowering his gaze and fixing it on the ground. He kept it there for a few moments, unable to continue seeing the way everyone was looking at him. With sadness. Pity. It was as if they knew. As if they had always known. The things he felt for her and the panic that was sweeping through his mind now that he was faced with her loss, "I'm going to need at least two others." Jack spoke once again to the crowd, eyes traveling over each of their faces.

Sayid immediately stepped forward, "I'll go," he said calmly, nodding towards Jack. Jack met his gaze for a moment, silently thanking him for all of his support.

"I'll go too, Jack," came Locke's voice from across the caves. He already had a pack slung over his shoulders and a knife at his side. Jack simply nodded to him, hand unconsciously twisting into a fist at his side. Jack was sure that until he found Kate, in the back of his mind, there would always be room for blaming Locke for what had happened to her.

Jack now stood at the front of the crowd with Charlie, Locke and Sayid. He turned to face Charlie and Sayid, "Grab a couple of water bottles and anything else you think you'll need. We're leaving in half an hour."

Without another word, Jack turned to walk away from them, heading towards the jungle, "Wait, Jack!" Charlie called out, taking a step in Jack's direction, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the gun case," Jack said quietly, eyeing Charlie solemnly. The younger man didn't say a word, only watched silently as Jack continued on his way.

By the time Jack made it back to the caves, Charlie, Sayid and Locke were standing in a small circle, waiting. Sayid and Locke had packs slung over their shoulders, but Charlie wasn't visibly carrying any supplies.

"Jack!" came a voice Jack couldn't place from across the caves as he was approaching Charlie, Locke and Sayid. Jack stopped and turned toward the voice, finding that it belonged to the young man he had yelled at earlier. The one that had fallen asleep during guard duty the previous night. Mark, Jack remembered Sayid telling him the man's name was.

Jack met the younger man's eyes, face expressionless. For a moment, Mark hesitated, not knowing how to interpret the look on Jack's face. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but shut it sheepishly. "Listen, Jack…" Mark began finally, unable to meet the older man's eyes, "I-I'm sorry about what happened…what I did…and I want to help, find her I mean. I want to go with you…"

For several moments, Jack just continued to stare at the younger man, as if sizing him up. Jack hardly knew him. In fact, he didn't know him at all. The only time he had spoken to him had been just two hours ago, right before he had run off on the trail to the hatch to look for Kate. It hadn't been an encounter Jack was proud of.

Mark finally met Jack's eyes, and Jack could see right away that there was an obvious look of grief in those eyes. He truly felt guilty for falling asleep, Jack decided. And that was when Jack knew that he had no right to tell the boy to stay behind. He had as much of a right to go as Jack himself did. If not for Kate, than at least for his own redemption.

"Yeah…" Jack replied after a moment, nervously reaching up to brush his fingers over his short cropped hair, "Yeah, you can come," Mark's face lifted for a split second, a small smile of relief tugging at the young man's lips, "Grab your things." Mark raced off immediately to get anything he might need for the trip.

As soon as Mark made it back to the group, a small school backpack slung over his shoulders, the group headed out into the jungle. None of them knew what they might find or what they were heading into. All of them hoped to find Kate alive, but each of them had their doubts.

(SPACE)

A chill ran eerily down Kate's spine as she tumbled to the floor, thrown roughly back into her cell. The exposed skin of her arms and face immediately met the stinging cold of the concrete floor, knocking the wind out of her from sheer surprise at the sudden sensation. Gasping for air, Kate gingerly attempted to sit up, the tender muscles in her neck and shoulders immediately burning in pain.

Panting, Kate tilted her head to each side, examining the room. It was pitch black, the only light coming from beneath the crack in the bottom of the cell door. That tiny ray of light exposed only a few dim shadows along the far wall and the frame of the door. Feeling her way along the wall, Kate discovered that it was made of steel, its cool surface biting against her already frozen finger tips.

Kate was dripping wet, not having been given anything to dry herself with after her experience in the tank. Her mind still reeled, unable to comprehend anything that had happened. She had no way of knowing how long they had kept her submerged in the icy water, but it had felt as though it had been an eternity. The water had been so cold that she had become painfully numb within less than a minute, her body chilled to the bone and shivering. And then the harsh blasts of water and the demands over the tiny intercom just over her head. It had felt like thousands of tiny needles puncturing her skin, pricking her from head to toe until she felt as though she would pass out. And she nearly had. After a while, Kate's body had ceased to fight, relinquishing any sort of struggle it had previously been putting up against the tank.

Even now, Kate was still shivering, though she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the fear. She had never felt so alone or afraid in her life, and that was saying something for a one-time convict who had lived a good portion of her life on the run. The places she had been and the things she had seen, it took a lot to get a single tear from Kate. But this was different. It was inhuman. It was heartless. Most of all, it was pure torture.

_"The boy…Where is the boy?"_

That question rang with a vengeance in the core of Kate's mind, threatening to push her over the edge. It was like an idle hum at the very base of her consciousness, growing ever louder as the minutes passed by. It had been the only question they had asked her and it left Kate wondering what it might mean.

And then, after what could have been hours, Kate wasn't sure anymore. She remembered Walt. None of them had known for certain, but Jack at least had suspected that Walt's mysterious appearance and his severe case of amnesia were due to some kind of interaction with whoever it was that had taken Claire. By now, Kate had become more than certain that whoever these people were that held her captive now, they were the very same that had taken Claire. They were Ethan's people. The _Others_.

Kate closed her eyes, lashes brushing against her cheeks. Jack. How long had she been kept here? Hours? A day perhaps? Time was a blur to Kate now, but that wasn't what plagued her mind just now. She couldn't have been here any longer than a day, though the pains that currently racked her mind and body told a different story. And yet already, her mind came back to him. To Jack.

Jack. Kate's eyes welled up with unshed tears as thoughts of Jack plagued her mind. What was he thinking right now? Did he know that she had been taken? Kate had no way of knowing if Jack had any idea that she was even gone. If Locke hadn't returned to the caves yet, then no one would have any idea that anything had happened to her. If the trail got old, assuming there even was one, then it would be nearly impossible to find her if it wasn't impossible already.

But somehow, Kate knew that she was going to be okay. She would have to be okay. Jack would find her. For reasons she couldn't explain, Kate was sure of that fact. There was no room in her mind for doubt. Jack was going to find her. He was going to come for her and all of this would be over.

And as these thoughts of utter certainty passed through Kate's mind, she had to wonder how she had come to so completely trust this man who was practically a stranger to her. How had she come to need him so badly in such a short time. Sitting here in this cell, Kate could only describe it as being like a fish out of water. It was as if she couldn't breathe.

Kate had spent many years of her life on the run, never able to trust anyone. Not even her own mother. But now, just when she was in the most unsure situation she had ever been in, she found that she could fully put her trust into a man that she had only just met little more than a month ago. It didn't make any sense, yet at the same time, it made perfect sense.

Without warning, the tears that Kate had been fighting back suddenly broke free. They began rolling steadily down her cheeks, sobs racking her chest. When had she become so helpless, so dependent on someone other than herself? _Forty-five days ago_, a voice deep within said meekly as she continued to cry, sobbing silently to herself.

Kate was interrupted from her thoughts as she heard a shuffling of feet just outside her cell door. Jerking her head up, eyes alert, Kate found herself unconsciously pushing her body back as far as she could go, pressing herself up against the cold steel wall. Clamping her eyes tightly shut, she said a silent prayer that they weren't coming back for her. She didn't know how much longer she could stand any of this and she hadn't even been held here for more than a day.

"1, 2, 3.…"Kate began to count out loud in a strained whisper as her voice began to quiver and her body shake, "4...5..."

(SPACE)

The sky, once a blue as pure and clear as the ocean surrounding the island, began to melt into faded shades of pink and orange. Sunset. Only a tinge of its original blue was left as the sun slowly sank beyond the mountains and cliffs that scattered over the island, dipping out of sight. Before long, the skies were void of any color and had vanished into an oblivion of black.

Glancing up at the now darkening sky, Sayid knew that they would have no choice but to stop and make camp. It would be foolish to continue their search in the dark on this unfamiliar and obviously unsafe terrain. Who knew what might be out in this jungle, particularly at night when it would be harder to see their surroundings? No, Sayid knew that it was time for a break. His concern though, was with Jack.

Ever since he had witnessed Jack's breakdown at the hatch, Sayid felt a sense of compassion for the man. Kate's abduction had obviously struck some deep chord within him, and Sayid hardly had to wonder why. The two had been very close for as long as Sayid could remember. Almost directly after the crash, even amongst all the chaos. Jack had fought to gain order amongst the survivors and Kate had been at his side every step of the way. Even when they had fought. And Sayid knew they had their fights.

Now that Kate had gone missing, that constant support Jack had up until this point was gone and Sayid knew that the man had to be feeling utterly helpless. He didn't blame him. But what worried Sayid now was Jack's devotion to finding her. He was more than determined, Sayid knew. Jack hadn't allowed them to stop once since they had set out from the caves, and it had been an entire day. Sayid knew that Jack would have no intention of stopping now.

"Jack!" Sayid called ahead, bringing the group to a stop.

Sayid watched as Jack hesitated in his footing briefly, as if deciding to even stop to hear Sayid's request. In the end though, Jack halted and turned to face Sayid, eyes radiating with impatience and something else. Pain, perhaps frustration. "We need to make camp."

"We haven't found her yet, " Jack said simply, though his eyes bore down with a hidden rage, Sayid guessed it wasn't directed at him.

"Its getting dark," Sayid insisted, meeting Jack's accusing gaze. He knew Jack wasn't thinking rationally and that just now the man _couldn't_ think rationally, but Sayid wasn't going to risk the lives of the entire search party, "We're on unfamiliar terrain. It would be foolishness to keep going under these conditions."

"I don't care," Jack replied, breathing hard. Sayid could see the struggle in the other man's eyes, knew the frustration and ultimately the fear that resided there.

"Sayid's right, Jack…" Locke chimed in, seeing an argument building, "It'd be a lot smarter to make camp. We've been at it all day and we could use a rest."

"And what, John?" Jack snapped angrily, turning on Locke, "Are we just going to give up on her?"

"We aren't giving up on anyone," Sayid's voice projected over Jack's, though his tone was calm, "We'll continue looking for Kate in the morning."

Jack's eyes bore into Sayid, fixed on him as he absentmindedly fiddled with the strap of his backpack. He was nervous. All of them could see it. They all knew what he must be thinking, no _fearing_, with every lost moment that Kate was still missing.

Heaving a long sigh, Jack brought his free hand up to run through his short cropped hair, drawing it down over his face as if deep in thought. Finally, as the others continued to watch him with concern, Jack swung his pack from his shoulders and let it drop to the ground where he stood. He wouldn't meet any of their eyes.

It was with a look of pure defeat that Jack let himself sink to the ground beside his pack, body leaning against it. He was exhausted, though he would never admit that, not even to himself. He sat in a tortured silence as Sayid, Locke, Charlie and Mark shuffled around in the small clearing, gathering wood for a fire and making camp. Jack knew that he ought to get up and help them, to break out of this spell he was in. But that was easier said than done.

With every moment that passed, Jack unknowingly became more sure that they would never find her. That all of this would be for nothing.

Later that night, Jack refused to give into the seemingly endless exhaustion that had been pulling at him for days. He sat in front of the still burning fire, knees drawn up against his chest, lounging back on his pack. His eyes were fixed on the crackling fire before him, flames dancing against the shadows of his face.

Sayid lay sprawled out several feet away, snoring softly as he slept. Locke and Mark also lay nearby, sleeping soundly. Jack had to wonder how they could do it. How they could manage to sleep so peacefully, as if they had nothing to worry about. Nothing to keep them awake.

_"I want to tell you what I did, why he was after me…"_

Almost against his will, Kate's voice echoed with a vengeance in his mind as he continued to stare at the fire. Jack remembered that conversation well, when she had offered to tell him what she had done, why the marshal was after her.

_"I don't want to know. It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were - what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really…three days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over…"_

Jack hadn't let her tell him. He had claimed that he didn't want to know, that he didn't _need_ to know. But that hadn't been true and it hadn't been fair to either of them. Jack had realized since then that Kate had needed to tell him and that at the time, he had only been thinking about himself.

He could count on his fingers all of the fights and the tension filled moments that his refusal to hear her confession had caused. More than anything, Jack regretted that now. Maybe if he hadn't been so held back by what she had or hadn't done, they could've had more time together. _Real_ time, not the moments they had spent against each other.

_"I want the truth, just this once. What is it?"_

_"It belonged to the man I loved…"_

_"The truth…"_

Jack had needed to know, his voice laced with desperation. Her voice had quavered with a flash of sincerity, but that hadn't been enough for him. She hadn't told him what he had wanted to hear. He had responded with frustration, the anger inside him slowly rising to the surface.

_"It belonged to the man I loved…"_

_"Stop lying and tell me the truth!"_

_"I'm not. It belonged to the man I killed…"_

As Jack sat before the fire, he could feel a new wave of tears burning at his eyes, fighting to be free. Out of all the things that Jack could remember about Kate, the memory of opening the silver gun case for the first time came to him the strongest. Though it had been weeks since that had happened, it was clearer in Jack's mind than even their kiss. That was what stung the most just now.

Jack closed his eyes, pressing his body further back against his pack. He held his breath, as if afraid to disturb such a tender memory. He could feel the softness of her lips upon his as he had brought his face crashing down upon her own. He could feel the warmth of her breath against his face. His fingers tingled with the still fresh memory of running his hands through her dark hair, the thick, silky texture feeling cool against his skin.

He shuddered as he remembered the warmth of her arms around his neck, her fingers delicately cupping his face, running smoothly over the stubble on his chin. He remembered the sweet taste of her kiss, and the passion of it all. How it had made him feel.

Most of all, he could still see the look in her eyes when they had broke apart. He had almost expected her to shrink away, as if in retreat, like she usually did in the moments he had gotten too close. In the moments she had let down her walls. Instead, he saw a simmering fire flash across her gaze. Her eyes became suddenly and uncharacteristically soft as she closed them for a moment, lashes brushing against her cheek.

And with that memory, it was as if she were still in his arms this very moment as he lay before the crackling fire. A phantom weight pressed against his chest and it was only when a log shifted in the fire, setting off a loud series of cracks and sparks that Jack was pulled out of this reverie.

Sighing, Jack buried his face in his hands, lightly massaging his face. After a long moment, Jack ran his hands over his face to move nervously through his hair. Everything was so uncertain. Jack didn't know if he could handle it anymore, but he knew that he had to. He had to hold it together long enough to find Kate. And he _would_ find her. Despite the impossibility of it all, he knew that he would find her.

As the first rays of the sun appeared faintly over the distant mountains, sliding over the tree line and into the clearing, Jack alone was wide awake. He hadn't slept at all that night. He hadn't even wanted to sleep. Not when things were so dire, with Kate's life on the line.

Before long, the sun appeared completely over the horizon, the darkness slowly vanishing into the break of day. Watching the sun rise, its light washing rhythmically over the jungle, it crossed Jack's mind that the second day of searching for Kate had come.

Hearing the sound of shuffling, Jack jerked his head to his right, toward the noise, to find that Sayid was awake. The man had risen to his feet and was stretching, muscles soar from sleeping out on the uneven jungle floor.

Locke and Mark had soon began to stir, Jack noticed and only Charlie still slept. As Locke rose to his feet to move over to Jack and Sayid, he nudged Charlie awake with his foot. Charlie immediately jerked awake, startled.

"What?" he asked sleepily, lazily sitting up.

"Get up," Locke said simply, walking past him, "We need to head out."

"Right," Charlie said quickly, breaking out of his lazy state. He hastily pulled himself to his feet and bounded over to where the rest of the group stood.

"We have a long day ahead of us," Sayid said after a moment, eyeing each of them individually, "We'd best get started."

Jack was silent as they each began to pick up camp, readying themselves for heading out once more. Without a word, Jack pulled a bottle of water from his pack and took several long gulps, nearly emptying it. Refreshed, Jack put the bottle back in his pack and moved to look towards the rocky cliffs in the distance.

Beyond those cliffs lay the ocean, Jack knew. The distant side of the island that none of them had dared venture to. Already, the search party had moved farther into the dense expanse of jungle that covered the island than any of them had ever dared. They had entered what Rousseau had called the Dark Territory yesterday and had yet to move out of it.

If they didn't run into any trouble, or find Kate early on, Jack knew that they were sure to reach the other side of the island by nightfall. For reasons Jack couldn't explain, he dreaded reaching the other side of the island. Maybe it was a symbol of defeat, having covered all the ground that they could, but Jack knew that he never wanted to have to reach the other shore.

"Which way are we heading?" Charlie asked as they all began pulling on their packs.

"East," Sayid replied, taking a long drink from his water bottle. Swallowing, he pointed to their left, "Beyond those cliffs lies the ocean."

"And that's where we're going?" Charlie asked, gazing skeptically towards the cliffs.

"Yes," Sayid replied simply, turning away from Charlie before the man could bombard him with anymore questions, "If we leave now, we can reach the other side of the island by nightfall."

"Lets go then," Locke replied, voice holding a slightly upbeat tone that made Jack want to belt him hard in the face.

With that, the group moved out with Jack in the lead. Sayid, Locke, Charlie and Mark all followed silently behind him. They had all been walking on eggshells around him since Kate had gone missing. Though they all hoped that Kate would be found alive and well, each of them secretly doubted they would have such luck. It was with that attitude that each of them watched Jack now, wondering just how he would take it when they inevitably had to turn back.

The day passed by far too quickly for Jack. Throughout the day, as he watched the sun move ever so slowly in its axis across the sky, he found himself wishing it would simply stop. That it would give them more time. But it never slowed down. If anything, time began to slip faster and faster out of Jack's hands. And as they moved past the cliffs and to the approaching shore without a single trace of Kate or what might have happened to her, Jack felt a stinging sense of dread began to build up inside himself.

Before long, the sun began to sink beyond the horizon, the sky fading into brilliant splashes of blue and pink. To Jack's dread, the sun was setting on the second day of searching, his hope becoming that much thinner. As he watched the light of day begin to lazily fade along with the sun, Jack could faintly hear the sound of water in the distance. It was the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and the shore of the island.

The sound of the waves grew steadily as the sun continued to fade over the horizon. Soon, Jack found himself treading on hardened, dirt like sand rather than the dense foliage and soil of the jungle or the gravel and rocky ground of the cliffs. Next came the distinct smell of salt. When it filled Jack's nostrils, he cringed, knowing they were close.

Within an hour, they had reached the beach, the sound of the waves crashing loudly present. Jack was the first to stumble from the thick trees of the jungle to the open, sandy expanse of the shore. The darkness that the dense trees of the jungle had provided now vanished into the open sky of the beach, the whole expanse lit by the pale light of the moon.

For several long moments, Jack stood silent and still, the toe of his boots digging into the sand. His eyes fell onto the ocean as its waves crashed against the shore, nearing where he stood because of the high tide.

"Damn…"Jack choked out, voice no more than a hoarse whisper. He clamped his eyes shut, unable to stare at the menacing waves of the ocean any longer. He brought his hands up to cover his face, burying it there. He could feel the eyes of the others in the search party. They stood several yards behind him, still at the edge of the jungle.

"Goddamn it!" Jack yelled, jerking his head out of his arms and clenching his fists. Without warning, Jack let out another yell of frustration, roughly moving forward and kicking up sand.

After a few moments, he had reached the shore. And as the waves lapped up around his ankles, he could feel the icy cold chill of the water moving past him, then rushing back into the sea. "No…"he said softly, voice broken and dejected, "No!" he yelled, stomping hard at the water as he continued to yell in frustration.

"Jack!" he heard Charlie's voice first, calling from the line of trees several yards behind him. He soon heard Sayid and Locke calling his name, running towards him. "Jack! Jack…" Charlie called his name, softer this time as he reached him. Panting, Charlie reached his side, "Calm down, mate…"

"Calm down?" Jack asked, his lips twisting into a sarcastic, frustrated smile as he began to laugh bitterly, "You want me to calm down? She's still out there Charlie. We've looked all over this damn island, and she's still out there…"

"Its not over, Jack…" Charlie supplied, looking to the other three for support, "Not till we've found her…"

"We'll find her…" Jack agreed, breathing heavily as he was beginning to calm down, "We're going to find her…"

"No, Jack…" Sayid said quietly from beside Charlie. It was the meekest tone Jack had ever heard coming from the ex-soldier, "We can't keep doing this…"

Jack immediately turned to face Sayid, meeting the other man's eyes with a suddenly cold stare. He watched as Sayid acknowledged this, swallowing hard before turning back to Charlie.

"What? You can't be serious!" Charlie exclaimed, looking at Sayid as though he were insane, "We can't just leave her out there…"

"Its been two days. We've all seen what's out there. What are the chances of her surviving, alone out here?" Sayid questioned, knowing how harsh it was, but also knowing that it had to be said.

"I am _not_ giving up on her, Sayid!" Jack nearly yelled, taking a step towards the other man. His eyes glinted dangerously in the moonlight.

"Jack, you know as well as I do that she never had a chance," Sayid said, voice grim as he met Jack's eyes, not moving his gaze for several moments.

"You're wrong…"Jack said, looking down at the sand as the water continued to lap around his ankles. He found himself suddenly calm, the anger fleeing to be replaced by the same hopeless feeling that he knew was driving Sayid, "She's alive…"

For a long moment all of them were silent. The only sound to be heard was the light wind blowing against the trees and the waves crashing against the shore. Finally, Locke broke the silence.

"They've taken her…" Locke said after a moment, hardly looking surprised when the other four men jerked their heads up, surprised. His voice was matter of fact, as though he had known all along.

Jack, Mark and Sayid each looked shocked at Locke's claim, but only Charlie looked suddenly angry.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but it had bloody well not be the Others!" Charlie growled angrily, glaring steadily at Locke.

"How else do you explain it, Charlie?" Locke asked calmly, not looking remotely moved by Charlie's outburst.

"There _are_ no Others!" Charlie yelled, eyes flashing angrily.

"Charlie's right, John," Sayid said quickly, hoping to calm Charlie down, "We don't have any proof these Others exist."

"Why do you think we haven't found Kate?" Locke asked, looking in turn from Charlie to Sayid and finally to Jack, noting the pain and fear in the other man's eyes, "If she's dead, why haven't we found a body?" Locke watched Jack cringe at this suggestion, "Or at least a trace of some kind of accident? There was nothing. Not a single disturbance. Nothing that could've provided us with a trail."

"You're out of your bloody mind!" Charlie muttered, refusing to believe anything Locke said, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"You can think what you want to Charlie, but deep down you see that I'm right," Locke responded, voice nonchalant.

"What are we gonna do?" Mark asked, the first time he had spoken up during this entire exchange. His voice shook slightly, obviously nervous to join the fight.

"We're going to go back to the caves," Sayid said quickly, "If Locke is right about these Others, then there's nothing we can do."

"No…" Jack finally spoke up, his voice defeated, "If there's a chance she's alive, then we can't just give up on her. We have to find her…"

"Without a trail, we have no hope of finding her," Sayid said sternly, eyes softening as soon as he looked at Jack's exhausted form. The man didn't look up at him, but instead gazed out to sea, as if completely lost, "I'm sorry, Jack…" Sayid said sympathetically.

Jack didn't say another word to any of them. Instead, he silently let himself sink to the ground, landing on the soft sand. Closing his eyes, Jack shoved the tip of his boots into the sand, digging into it. Within moments, the surf had come up around his ankles, tickling his sides with cold.

In the back of his mind, Jack could hear Sayid calling his name, trying to get his attention, but he didn't respond. He just sat silently in the surf with his knees pulled up against his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs letting the water lap up around his ankles. His thoughts were in a million places, his mind in a whirling fury and he just sat in silence, letting himself sink into the shore with every new wave.

**A/N:** Well, what did you think? I hoped you guys liked it…This time I really promise I'll have the next chapter up sooner. Now I've got the time to work on it, so it should be up pretty fast. I'll really be encouraged if I get feedback, so please review. Thanks!


	5. The Messenger

**A/N:** Well I guess I've once again proved how unreliable I am with fan fiction. I'm _so_ sorry guys! I really didn't mean for it to take this long and as always I have an excuse, but I still wish I could devote more time to this. I'm really going to try, I promise!

Anyway, plot wise this is a pretty important chapter so I hope you guys read it. The action is really going to start picking up in this story from this point on, so I hope you enjoy that and continue with my fic!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it…

**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 4: The Messenger**

Guilt. Walt could feel the putrid emotion flaring through every fiber of his being. It was like a shadow, constantly following him. Connected to him. So much so that it was entirely a part of him. Guilt for Kate. For his dad. For Sawyer and Jin, two men he couldn't recall having ever seen before, but was told sailed away with his dad on a raft to find help.

It had been no more than four days since Walt had found Shannon and Sayid in the jungle. Since he had been rescued from some terrible force that he couldn't remember. He had heard Shannon call it the Others. He didn't know what that could mean, but he knew that they were some kind of threat. Something bad. Something dangerous. He knew most of all though, if purely by assumption that these Others, whatever they were, wanted him.

Walt could remember almost nothing about any of the other survivors that claimed to have known him for a month since the crash. The crash he couldn't recall having ever experienced, let alone survived. The things that he did remember were odd little bits. Nothing important really. Just tiny fragments of daily life.

The clearest memory was of the older bald man. The one he had heard called John, but remembered as Mr. Locke from what memory he had of him.

_"See this knot Walt? I want you to aim for it, right there. Focus on it, alright? Picture it in your mind's eye. You know what that is, right? The mind's eye?"_

_"Like a picture in your head or something…"_

_"That's right. Now do it again. But see it. See it before you do it. Visualize the path. See it. Just see it…"_

Walt remembered gripping a knife in his hand, the smoothly polished handle resting firmly against his now sweating palms. He remembered the feeling of pure determination. Of will. But then he remembered seeing it. Like a real picture or even a vision, like it was actually happening. He remembered actually seeing himself throwing the knife and with amazing accuracy, slicing directly into the knot.

And out of nowhere, that vision materializing. Becoming as real as anything. As his mind wandered, yet stuck firmly to his utmost concentration, Walt released the knife from his grip, expertly throwing it at his target and sinking it in with a victorious _thunk_.

_"Yes!"_

_"I knew you had it in you, Walt…"_

_"It was weird. I actually saw it. Like in my mind or something, like it was real…"_

_"Who's to say it wasn't?"_

A small smile flickered at the edge of Walt's mouth, but it only lasted for a moment. It didn't take long for the reason for Walt's uneasiness to come back to him. It was like a plague. Something he just couldn't shake no matter how much he wanted to. The worst part of it all, was that Walt could never be sure just how much of this was his fault. His last memory was boarding the plane with his dad, and even that memory wasn't a clear one.

Sighing, Walt sank back farther into the lumpy cushions of the airline seat he was lounging in. After he had been found in the jungle and examined for injuries, Jack had given the chair to Walt as a makeshift bed, explaining that he and his dad had stayed out on the beach and their camp was long since picked over.

Jack had allowed Walt to stay with him in the medical cave because it was much larger than the others and had plenty of room for an extra occupant. Besides, Walt knew from Jack's frequent glances that he had also intended to check up on him quite often and that it was just easier to keep him within his site.

Just as Walt's thoughts were beginning to stray again, he could hear a shuffling sound towards the mouth of the cave. Soon, it became more defined and Walt recognized it as the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Walt…"he immediately recognized Jack's voice as his dark form appeared at the entrance to the cave. He was still too far away for Walt to make out the expression on Jack's face, but Walt could detect a surprised tone in Jack's voice, "What are you doing up?"

"Can't sleep…" Walt gave a mumbled reply, letting his eyes drop to the floor in fear of meeting the man's gaze as he entered the cave. Soon, Jack's form became clear as he stepped into the dim firelight of the cave, nearing Walt's makeshift bed.

Silence loomed around them. Walt barely caught Jack's response as he couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye, but out of the corner of Walt's vision, he saw Jack nod ever so slightly. He heard Jack sigh heavily before moving away and walking over to his own cot further back in the cave. As the metal frame of the cot squeaked with friction, Walt let out a small breath of relief, knowing he no long had Jack's heavy gaze on him.

Shifting his form on the airline seat, Walt turned his head to look at Jack. He saw him sitting up on his cot, his entire frame leaning forward against his knees. He had his head buried in his hands, rubbing his temple.

It was as he watched Jack and saw the weariness in his every movement, that Walt knew that he couldn't go on like this. The guilt was too much as it was now.

"Jack?" Walt asked, forcing himself not to break his gaze from where Jack sat. He watched as Jack jerked his head up, his hands falling down into his lap as he quickly turned to look at Walt. It was almost too much, the pained look that radiated from Jack's eyes. The hurt that was written in his features.

"You blame me…don't you…" Walt said, his eyes immediately falling to the floor. He couldn't stand to see the disappointed look on Jack's face any longer.

If Walt had kept Jack in his gaze, he would have seen the look of complete shock that came over Jack's face as what Walt had said registered in his mind. He would have seen the disbelief in Jack's eyes and the way that within seconds, Jack had clicked into action.

"Wait, what?" Jack asked, the shock clear in his tone.

"For Kate…you blame me for Kate…" Walt said, lifting his gaze ever so slightly, but still unwilling to meet Jack's eyes. Without even looking at Jack, he could feel the man tense up at the stinging mention of Kate's name.

Jack's voice cracked as he attempted to answer, his lips twisting to emit a light chuckle, though it was far from an amused one. He shook his head, bringing his gaze to the floor. He was silent for several moments before again lifting his head to speak to Walt, "You really think that?"

Walt just stared at Jack in response. Jack sighed, lifting a nervous hand up to run it through his short cropped hair, "Its not your fault, Walt…none of this was…"

"How do you know?" Walt asked, though from the look he got, he knew that wasn't a question Jack knew the answer to.

"Because it wouldn't be fair…" Jack said after a moment, once again bringing his gaze to stare heavily at Walt, his eyes bearing into him, "It wouldn't be fair for me to blame you…"

"A lot of things aren't fair…" Walt persisted, unmoved by Jack's attempt to soothe him.

Walt didn't have to look at Jack to know the man didn't have an answer to that either. He knew that he couldn't. Maybe now Jack would see that Walt really was to blame. Maybe now he'd know. At least then he'd treat Walt the way he deserved for what happened to Kate. Maybe then he'd hate him like he should.

After several long moments, Jack again spoke up, this time his voice carrying an even greater burden, "Listen Walt…" Jack said quietly, though his voice held a definite tone, "I don't blame you. What happened to Kate wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done to make it any different."

"But Shannon says they just want me," Walt replied, curious to how Jack could excuse that one, "She said that's why they hurt Kate…"

Jack suddenly became more tense, flinching at Walt's mention of Kate's mysterious disappearance, "None of us knows what happened to her, Walt. We don't even know if the Others exist…"

Walt shook his head, defiant of Jack's disbelief in the Others, "Shannon says she heard them. She said Sayid did too."

There was no mistaking the look of surprise on Jack's face as he began to consider what Walt was saying. Obviously, this was news to him, "She doesn't know what she's talking about. She doesn't know anymore about the Others than the rest of us."

Walt had nothing to say in response to Jack's words. Maybe Jack really didn't blame him. He was obviously upset about everything, but it didn't look like he held it against Walt.

"Its late…" Jack said after a while, breaking his gaze away from the floor to look at Walt, "You should get some sleep."

Sighing, Walt nodded, though he doubted sleep would come any easier now than it had before. He met Jack's gaze briefly, his lips twisting into a small smile. Jack returned the grin, though Walt could tell it was masking the pain that he really felt. He knew that Jack didn't really have anything to smile about just now.

Walt shifted back around in the airline sit, shuffling his body until he was somewhat comfortable. He heart the cot squeak as Jack lay down, stretching his frame against it. The cot screeched and squealed as Jack continued to shift his body around, finally settling on his side, facing the cave wall.

As the room fell silent, Walt leaned back into the airline seat. Several moments passed and Walt felt exhaustion begin to consume him. Despite the turmoil that was still a constant pressure in his mind, Walk slowly began to drift off into a fitful sleep.

Several hours later, Walt found himself being jerked suddenly from sleep. His eyes snapped open and he felt his heart beating rapidly within his chest. Almost immediately, Walt began searching his surroundings, gasping for breath. What had woke him up so suddenly? He thought he might have heard something, some sort of sound that was out of place. But now there was nothing. No sign of a disturbance.

Calming down, Walt began to catch his breath. Perhaps it hadn't been anything after all. It was probably just a dream, he thought to himself. Nothing more than that.

Shifting in the airline seat, Walt turned to look at Jack. He was still there, his form spread out over the cot as he faced the wall sleeping silently. Walt watched as Jack's chest rose and fell rhythmically in his sleep. He was surprised that Jack had managed to sleep at all, but just by the looks of him, maybe it wasn't so hard to believe after all. Even now as he slept, Jack had visible bags under his eyes from exhaustion. Walt had no doubt that the man had gone the entire four days of searching for Kate without sleeping for so much as a few minutes.

Just as Walt began to shift around in his seat to try to go back to sleep, he heard it. It was the same sound that had woke him up, but more than that, it was the same sound that had plagued him that night in the jungle before he had stumbled upon Shannon and Sayid. It was like a faint whisper. One that was more in the mind than actually there in the distance.

Walt jerked up from his seat, nearly leaping to his feet from sudden fear. He didn't know how, but he just knew that the whispering he had heard in the jungle and the whispers he heard now in some way belonged with the Others.

Panic swept through Walt at that thought. What if they were here? What if they had come back for him?

"_Walt.."_

What had been undecipherable mumblings suddenly became clear. Walt jumped at the eerie sound of his name. He knew then that it was indeed the voice from the jungle.

_"Walt…"_

Again came the whispers. Walt gasped, suddenly fearful. They chanted his name. The sound set shivers up his spine, shaking his very being. With each passing second, the whispers grew louder and more clear. It was as if the owner of the voice was drawing nearer by the moment.

"Jack," Walt croaked, voice hoarse. There was no response as Jack continued to sleep, softly snoring, "Jack…" Walt tried again, once again receiving no response.

Desperate, Walt began considering getting up from his seat to go wake Jack. He knew he had to get Jack, but every bone in his body told him not to get up. Not to be noticed. He had no memory of these Others. He had no idea what they could do to him or to anyone else. He didn't even know if they could be seen. After all, nothing he had ever heard of possessed such a voice as these whispers. It was so utterly inhuman.

"Jack!" Walt hissed, still not getting an answer. Fingers gripping the armrests at his side in frustration, Walt slowly began to slide out of his seat. He slithered along the fabric of the airline seat, as though he was trying to melt into the ground. Once he was on the cave floor, he slowly crept along, staying in the shadows. By now, the whispers had stopped, but his fear had not gone with them. If anything, their absence frightened him even more.

Reaching the cot where Jack lay, Walt let out a small breath of relief. His heart was pounding without relent in his chest and he fought hard to keep control of his breathing. Reaching out a hand, Walt gripped Jack's shoulder to shake him awake, "Jack…" Walt said, voice insistent.

Jack's eyes snapped open immediately, the sudden shock and confusion shining with a vengeance in his eyes. He caught his breath suddenly, obviously caught in fear at being jerked awake so unexpectedly.

"Walt…" Jack whispered in surprise and confusion, any scrap of sleep gone from his demeanor.

Walt immediately cut Jack off in a rushed whisper, "There's someone out there…"

He could see the wheels turning in Jack's mind, but his consideration on the matter only lasted for a brief few moments before he snapped into action.

Throwing his legs over the side of the cot, Jack swiftly pulled himself to his feet. Every muscle in his body tensed, as if on edge. Taking a step away from Walt, Jack silently crept towards the suitcases filled with medical supplies that were strewed throughout the cave.

Without hesitating, Jack reached behind one of the cases and lifted a long, thick piece of metal that had been sharpened at the end. Since he always kept the guns locked safely in the Marshall's case, the only weapon Jack always had at hand was this scrap metal spear.

"Stay here," Jack whispered urgently to Walt, looking him briefly in the eye before turning away. He knew that he had to act quickly.

Gripping the cold metal, Jack slowly crept towards the front of the cave. He could feel his pulse pounding in his head as his heart beat relentlessly in his chest. In the back of Jack's mind, _the Others, the Others_, was repeatedly voiced. Could it be? If Jack was honest, it was the first thing he thought of. _And when did I ever admit they were even real_, Jack asked himself. Maybe he had secretly assumed it all along.

Jack moved along the wall, his steps becoming farther apart the closer he got to the mouth of the cave. Soon, he knew what Walt had heard. It came quietly at first, but soon became a constant pressure in the back of his mind. The noise was hushed, yet had a blaring, unforgettable tone at the same time. Unexplainable, but the closest word Jack could think to describe it with was a whisper.

A constant flow of whispers. That was all that it was. They were tiny mumblings and murmurs, none that he could make out a single word of. With each whisper, Jack felt a chill run down his spine, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. He thought to yell for help, for he had no idea what he was up against. In his heart, he knew it was somehow tied with the Others. But until tonight, he had never known what they might be. What they could do.

Taking in a deep breath, Jack gazed steadily out at the camp. Before him lay the center of the caves. The only visible light came from the tiny flickering embers of each of the small fire pits scattered about the clearing.

Glancing to both sides, and shifting his gaze to travel over every inch of the caves, Jack could see no disturbance. The whispers had suddenly fell silent, and even when they had been blaring in Jack's mind, they somehow held no location. It was as if they were tied to nothing. As if they only existed in the imagination.

Jack stepped cautiously away from the mouth of the cave and out into the open air of the caves. With every step, his eyes darted to each side, careful to catch any sudden movements. Still, he could see nothing.

Breathing hard, the air felt thick all around Jack. Though he could not begin to explain how, he knew that someone or something was there. Something was wrong, out of place. He knew that Walt truly had heard something, probably the very same thing Jack had heard.

It was like an aura around the caves, Jack decided. As though everything was untouchable, unreal. The air around Jack now was so thick, he was sure that it was bearing a weight down on his shoulders. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that something was terribly wrong. As the fear coursed like wildfire through Jack's veins, he knew that he couldn't do this alone.

Just as Jack came to this conclusion, a new sound met his ears. It was like a shuffling of feet, physical movement somewhere in the camp. This sound was more tangible, more _real_ and it immediately washed away all hesitation in Jack's mind.

"Sayid!" Jack shouted at the top of his lungs. For that brief moment after his yell, when all was silent, Jack felt an unexplainable certainty that he was going to die. Like a flash it was there, and just as suddenly it was gone. Within little more than an instant, Jack had come back to his senses, spinning around towards the sound. "Locke! Sayid!"

He was shocked at what he saw. A lone figure stood no more than ten yards away, just before the trail to the hatch began. The bulky, shadowy figure was clearly that of a man. Jack was so surprised by this discovery that he took a rushed step back, mouth dropping open. He could have sworn that the unknown man's lips twisted into a vicious smile, though because of the shadows, Jack couldn't be sure.

"Jack!" he heard Sayid's rushed call and the sound of approaching footsteps. Sayid was moving towards where Jack stood at a run. And in that moment when Jack turned away from the lone figure to face Sayid, the caves came alive. Jack's call to Sayid had managed to wake everyone and they were all coming to see what the commotion was.

Without a word, Sayid came to a stop at Jack's side. His eyes immediately fell upon the stranger, and grew wide in response. Looking up towards Jack, the other man only mirrored his confusion.

As the other survivors filed out into the open, gasps could be heard left and right. The caves were suddenly filled with whispers and mumblings of surprise and shock. Sayid knew that he had to take action.

Jack was momentarily baffled as Sayid gave him a quick glance before reaching to his back and pulling out one of the few 9 millimeters that had been in the Marshall's case. It took Jack only a moment to realize that Sayid had never returned the gun to him after their journey to search for Kate.

Before Jack could register in his mind what was happening, Sayid had broke off after the man at a run, gun pointed towards the ground. Jack immediately followed, tightly gripping the metal bar that now seemed rather useless. The man made no move to defend himself as Sayid none too gently knocked him to the ground.

By the time Jack reached the scene, Sayid had the stranger laying flat in the dirt, standing over him with the gun pointed down in his face. Still, the man did not move or even speak a single word or plea in his own defense. Jack approached Sayid, who stood firmly over the man, a murderous fire alight in his dark eyes. Within seconds, Locke too came on the scene at a run, panting as he stopped beside Jack.

"Who-" Locke began, still trying to catch his breath, his eyes wide in surprise at seeing the unknown man.

"We don't know…" Jack said simply, having a hard time registering it all himself. Locke had asked a good question. Who was this man?

"Sayid, what-" Locke voiced, taking a step toward the other man, but was immediately cut off as Sayid held up a shaking hand.

"Stay back!" he said sternly, his eyes never leaving the man he held at gunpoint, though the stranger had yet to show any sign of hostility. Keeping his aim fixed on the man, Sayid turned to look at Jack, "We need to question him," he said seriously, eyes bearing down on Jack.

For a brief moment, Jack turned to look back at his cave. As he had suspected, Walt stood at the mouth of the cave. He was leaning against the cave wall, eyes wide at the chaos that had broken out in the camp. Hesitating only for a moment, Jack replied, "Lets take him back to my cave. We can question him there."

Nodding, Sayid looked to Locke and then back to Jack, "Help me with him," he said, taking a step away from the man, though the aim of his gun did not waver for a moment.

The man seemed not to notice any of this, for his demeanor was just as calm as it had been before. As Jack and Locke stepped towards him, each cautiously reaching to pull him to his feet, he finally broke his silence, holding up a hand, "I'll go quietly," he said calmly, looking completely unfazed by this whole event.

"On your feet!" Sayid growled dangerously, indicating with the gun for him to rise. Letting out what sounded like a sigh of annoyance, the man lifted himself to his feet, stopping briefly to brush the dirt off of his loose fitting brown pants.

It was then, as Jack finally saw the man in full light that he really took notice of his appearance. He wasn't a particularly tall man, but he had a short, stalky build. His face was pale and gaunt, rounded out in shape and held several scars. His hair was light and thin, almost stringy looking in texture.

This man, whoever he was, may have had a somewhat comical appearance if not for his eyes. No, his eyes were anything but comical. They were a pale gray with tiny, almost invisible flecks of green. It was not the color though, but the emotionless quality of his eyes that made them stand out so menacingly in the pale moonlight.

Jack broke away his eyes as Sayid pressed the gun firmly into the man's back, "Move," he ordered, grinding the barrel firmly into the small of the man's back.

Jack turned briefly away from the scene to look at the gathering crowd at the caves. Nearly all of the survivors had been pulled out of sleep by the commotion. Shaking his head, Jack raised a hand as if to dismiss them, "Go back to your caves!" he shouted, all the while waving at them to move on, "There's nothing more to see!"

Hesitantly, the crowd slowly began to disperse. Though most of them returned to their caves, Jack was certain none would find anymore sleep tonight. After Kate's disappearance and the recent talk of the Others, Jack knew that was had happened tonight would be too much for all of them.

Upon reaching his cave, Jack immediately went to Walt. The boy stood frozen at the entrance to the cave, eyes wide in fear. Reaching out a hand, Jack let it rest on Walt's shoulder. Walt's head immediately snapped up to look at him, breathing hard. His eyes were wide and helpless, almost pleading with Jack, though he didn't know why.

"Walt," Jack said firmly, looking him directly in the eye. He lifted a hand to point in the direction of the dispersing crowd, "Go stay with Sun for the night."

"But-" Walt began to protest, much to Jack's surprise, but Jack immediately shook his head.

"_Go_," he repeated, steadfast. Sighing, though it was clear the boy was still scared out of his mind, Walt turned away from Jack and made his way over to Sun, following her into the cave she had once shared with Jin.

Once Jack was sure Walt was safe with Sun, he quickly made his way into his own cave, trailing after Locke and Sayid. His eyes fell upon the pair immediately. Locke sat on Jack's makeshift bed while Sayid stood farther back in the cave, stooped over the hunched form of what had to be their captive.

The man was leaning almost leisurely against the cave wall, his legs stretched out across the dirt floor. His hands were firmly bound behind his back and he stared almost emotionlessly up at Sayid. If there was one thing in this man's eyes, Jack thought grimly, then it would have to be amusement.

Sayid's eyes only broke away from the man briefly to fall on Jack as he entered the cave. Nodding, he turned immediately back to the stranger.

"Who are you?" Sayid questioned, though on many levels it sounded much more like a demand.

The man was stony silent for a moment, lips twisting into somewhat of a smirk.

"That isn't important…" he replied smugly, eyes never leaving Sayid's dark orbs.

Jack half expected Sayid to jump at the man, scream at him at the very least, but was surprised when Sayid simply contained his fury. The man's demeanor hardly changed for any more than a brief second.

"You are in no position to decide what is important and what is not," Sayid said calmly. Perhaps a little too calmly, Jack thought to himself.

"Is that a threat, Sayid?" the man asked, his lips twisting into a knowing grin.

Jack could hardly contain his surprise and knew without even glancing and Locke that the older man felt the same. Sayid however, showed little reaction to the stranger's words, as though unwilling to take his bait. But Jack knew different. He knew that somewhere beyond that indifferent exterior, Sayid's mind was reeling.

"That depends," Sayid continued, as though unfazed, "Answer the question. Who are you?"

Sighing, as though incredibly impatient, the man replied, "My name is Henry Gale."

Sayid nodded and turned briefly to look at Jack. Though he couldn't gauge the other man's reaction to this stranger's response, Sayid thought he might know what could be going through Jack's mind. He knew that Jack was likely questioning if this man had anything to do with Kate's disappearance.

But Sayid had no way of knowing that he was wrong. Jack had yet to connect Kate's disappearance to this man. It was as if he had settled on some form of denial. He refused to admit that even if the Others did exist, that they could possibly have been the reason for Kate's disappearance. Because that was just unacceptable. If they had her, if they hurt her, then it was far beyond his control. But if she was simply lost, out there somewhere on her own, then perhaps there was still a chance.

"How long have you been here?" Sayid asked, eyes bearing menacingly down on the man. He knew that if it came down to it and this Henry Gale didn't cooperate, then he would have to resort to some of his old tactics. He knew also that Jack might never let that happen.

"Longer than you have," he replied tersely, glaring venom at Sayid. Despite the pure, untainted hate that Sayid could see beyond the man's eyes, he could also see a bone-chilling sort of amusement as well.

"Precisely how long?" Sayid added quickly, as though unchallenged by this man's game.

The man simply sighed, as though incredibly burdened, then shook his head in a false pity. His eyes fell briefly away from Sayid and to the floor of the cave and as soon as he know longer stared at the man, his lips twisted into the tiniest of grins. With the grin came a softly amused chuckle.

Enraged, Sayid bolted to the floor, immediately landing on his knees just in front of the man. Gale hardly had time to react before Sayid had grabbed his chin roughly in his hands and none too gently jerked his face up to look him in the eye.

"Answer my question!" Sayid growled dangerously, his face now mere inches from Gale's. The man's pale green eyes bore no fear as he looked on at Sayid, completely unmoved by this sudden turn of violence.

"Sayid!" Jack called, eyes flashing.

Sayid did not turn to face Jack, but rather continued to stare on at Gale, his eyes bearing into the other man's orbs, "Stay out of this Jack…" he warned, though only Gale could see the dangerous glint in Sayid's dark eyes.

"You're asking the wrong questions…" Gale's voice came seemingly from nowhere and in little more than a faint whisper. Sayid glared in disbelief at the man, his chin still gripped firmly in Sayid's hand. Gale simply smiled as best he could given Sayid's grip.

Sayid said not a word. Instead, he roughly threw Gale back against the wall, inwardly cursing. Getting further into Gale's face, Sayid continued, "I'm giving you one last chance to answer my question…"

"Or what, Sayid?" Gale asked boldly, lips twisting in a far too amused grin, "Will you do to me what you did to the southerner? _Torture_ me, Sayid?"

In response, Sayid was silent. He simply continued to stare at the man, almost in disbelief at his daring.

"What are the right questions?" Locke asked after a moment, moving to stand closer to Sayid. Though he couldn't see it for he only looked at Gale, Sayid was glaring in frustration at Locke's intrusion and only had to wonder how long it would be before Jack chimed in.

To all of their surprise, Gale turned his head to look at Jack. His ghostly pale green eyes bore into Jack's own brown ones, staring him down. This single second felt as though it lasted forever, laced with a terrible, looming tension before Gale finally spoke, "Jack knows the right questions," he replied, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth, "Don't you, Jack?"

And then all eyes were on Jack, staring at him as if in wonder. What was it he knew? And how could he know anymore than they did. If they had expected to see some miraculous sense of realization fall over Jack, then they were sorely disappointed, for he looked on at Gale, as puzzled as the other two men in the room. In truth, the question left his lips perhaps even without him knowing.

"Where's Kate?" the question loomed for eternal moments in the air as it left Jack's lips. His throat caught immediately at the shock of having voiced it and that was when his sense of denial immediately began to crumble. He just _knew_.

"_Now_ we're getting somewhere…" Gale replied, a little too smugly for Sayid's liking. It was as if the stranger had had control over the interrogation the whole time, something that Sayid had never experienced before.

"_Where_ is she?" Jack's voice had switched almost immediately into a dangerous tone that wasn't far from the one Sayid had been using, "What have you done with her!"

"She means something to you, doesn't she Jack?" Gale goaded, watching as Jack's anger became more and more apparent in his face.

"Damn it, _where is she_!" he was furious now, eyes alight with rage. As if anticipating his next action, Locke hastily grabbed Jack by the shoulders, pulling him back to prevent him from attacking the man. Henry Gale just laughed.

"We have something of yours, don't we Jack?" Gale continued to press Jack, his amusement only growing, his eyes as sickly pale as ever, "And you want her back. Well _you_ have something of _ours_ too, Jack and we want it."

"What do you want?" Jack asked, fighting to keep his voice from breaking. He wanted to be strong, to be firm, but in a moment like this, he hardly knew how.

"The boy," Gale said quickly, the most immediate answer he had managed to give that night, "We want the boy…"

None of them had to question what Gale meant when he said 'we'. They all knew well that he was referring to the Others. He was boldly saying that they did exist. That he was one of them. The idea made Jack's blood run cold.

Jack almost had to ask who it was Gale meant. Who was the boy? And then he knew. It could only be one person. Walt.

"Walt…" Locke echoed Jack's thoughts, his voice holding an edge of worry.

"He's just a boy…" Jack voiced in shock, even anger, "What could you want with him?"

Before Gale could answer, he was sharply cut off by Sayid, "It doesn't matter what he wants with Walt," Sayid said calmly, voice dangerously low, "He's lying."

"Its simple," Gale persisted, as if completely ignoring Sayid's accusation, "Bring us the boy, and Kate's all yours. You have forty-eight hours, exactly two days to do this. When the time is up, she's going to die, regardless."

"Don't you lay a finger on her!" Jack yelled defensively, once again having to be held back by Locke.

"Jack, stop!" Locke yelled, trying to calm Jack down as he held him back.

"No! He has her!" Jack yelled, fighting to pull away from Locke, "He has her, damn it!"

"Quiet!" Sayid yelled over the chaos, the noise finally slowing down as the attention fell onto him, "This man is obviously lying. We have no way of knowing these Others exist, let alone that he's truly one of them…"

"They have Kate!" Jack protested, staring at Sayid in disbelief.

"We can't know that," Sayid responded, not backing down, "What if he's lying?"

"And if I'm not, then she'll die," Gale chimed in, knowing exactly what to say to set Jack off, "Could you live with that, Jack?"

"Don't listen to him, Jack," Sayid said calmly, hoping to talk sense into Jack.

But Jack's eyes were glued firmly to Gale's form, watering over with unshed tears as a haunted look spread over his face. No matter what Sayid said, this man had Jack's attention.

"You know, she calls for you Jack…" Gale began again, the smile on his face becoming more sick with each passing moment, "When they touch her, beat her. Even when she's asleep, she calls for _you_…"

Jack was stony silent, his form suddenly gone almost rigid. He froze where he stood, slinking down and moving away from his violent stance. The blood was rushing from his face as he turned deadly white, feeling as though he might pass out.

"That's enough!" Sayid yelled, moving forward and laying a clenched fist against Gale's jaw with every ounce of force he had.

"Sayid, no!" Locke yelled, immediately rushing towards Sayid to pull him back. By the time he had been pulled under control, he had punched and kicked the other man until Gale lay sprawled out on his back, helpless to defend himself. His eyes were wild at the pain, his lips still twisted into that demented smirk.

Gale lay panting, though grinning as though he were victorious, "It's alright," He assured them, his eyes flashing from Locke to Jack, who stood motionless, watching the scene unfold with haunted eyes, "Let him do what he wants to me. But rest assured, anything that I suffer will be done twice as badly to _her_."

And before Jack could react, Sayid was once again yelling, "He's lying!"

Sayid leapt from Locke's hold, roughly tackling Gale to the ground once more. He shoved the other man against the wall, repeatedly punching him in the face and chest with all that he had.

And through it all, Gale still managed to shout out, "Every bruise, Jack, she'll be paid back two fold!"

It didn't take anymore than that. With a strangled yell, Jack broke into a run towards Sayid. Diving through the air, he hastily tackled Sayid, shoving him off of Gale and pinning him to the ground. The Iraqi immediately fought back, belting Jack in the jaw and yelling, "Let me go, Jack! I'm doing what must be done!"

Panting, Jack continued to hold him to the ground, pressing all of his weight into pinning down Sayid's arms at his side so that he couldn't strike back.

"You won't let him, Jack…" Gale said, feigning a weakness in his voice while never losing the ghastly grin that hadn't ceased since they had discovered him invading their camp, "You know I'm the only way you'll ever see her again…"

As Sayid continued to struggle, Jack clenched his fist and punched him hard, catching him across the eye. He pulled his arm back and repeated the motion, striking Sayid two more times before the man finally calmed down. Soon, he had ceased to struggle beneath Jack's hold. Both men sat frozen in the same position, each gasping for air and heavily panting.

Jack looked down to meet Sayid's eyes. The look he received was not cold, but surprisingly understanding. As if in silent agreement, Sayid nodded and Jack rolled off of him, relinquishing his hold. Each man rose to his feet, both still panting from the previous violence.

"He's lying…" Sayid persisted calmly between breaths, looking almost sympathetically at Jack.

"I can't risk it," Jack replied firmly, gazing directly into Sayid's dark eyes.

"And what is your plan? To give them the boy?" Sayid questioned, as if accusing Jack.

"No," Jack replied defensively, "We won't give them anything."

"Then what?" Sayid asked skeptically.

"We let him go," Jack responded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. At Sayid's puzzled look, he continued, "If they don't get him back soon, they'll hurt her…"

Sighing, Sayid simply nodded. After several moments, he turned away from jack and back to the hunched, now severely bruised form of Henry Gale, "Get up," he said firmly, eyes flashing dangerously.

Gale struggled in vain to rise on his own, but with his new wounds and his hands firmly bound behind his back, the task was an impossible one. Locke quickly stepped forward and helped to lift him to his feet. Sayid motioned with the gun for him to exit the cave and step outside. As Gale walked, Sayid moved along behind him, gun pressed firmly against the man's back.

Jack followed them outside and watched as Sayid led Gale to the trail that led out into the jungle.

"I'm going to cut your binds," Sayid said calmly as they stopped by the trail, "When you're free, you are going to run as fast as you can down that path and go back to wherever it is you came from. If I find you anywhere near here again, I'm going to shoot you. Do you understand?"

As always, Gale simply smiled in response. Sighing, Sayid pulled a knife out of his back pocket and swiftly cut the ropes that bound Gale's wrists. The man immediately began to shake the now loose bonds free from his hands. He took only a short moment to rub the soreness in his wrists before he turned away from the caves and took off running down the path, just as he had been instructed.

Jack watched as Gale disappeared into the vast amount of trees just off the path before them. At this late hour of the night with no more than the moon to give off light, he easily disappeared into the looming shadows of the jungle.

And all Jack seemed to be able to think was that this man was running back to them, back to Kate. He knew where she was. He could get to her, harm her if he wanted to. And he had had his threats. The hands at Jack's side immediately clenched into fists, gripping tighter with every passing moment. He could feel the white hot anger coursing through his veins, almost as if it were an all too natural emotion. Like it had always been a part of him, simply waiting to break through his usually calm demeanor.

With a sigh, Jack turned away from the trail and took a step to head back towards the caves. He stopped only briefly to glance back at the jungle, as though it would reveal some desired secret to him. Just as he had before, he saw only a seemingly endless sea of trees, all blowing rhythmically with the chill night wind.

And in that single instant, that tiny fraction of a moment in time, it came to Jack. He had to find the Others. He had to find them at all costs, even if it meant his life. He would die trying. Because he had to get her back. What he had become, even in her short absence, it wasn't something he could be proud of and it certainly wasn't a leader. He had become virtually helpless without her, the realization of his wildest fear of loss becoming all too real to him. And in that instant, he knew without a doubt that he needed her. That he would do anything that he could to find her.

Realization hit Jack suddenly like a ton of bricks. Walt. Walt had been with the Others. Somewhere, buried deep in his memory, lay the key to finding Kate. Jack knew in that instant that he had to talk to Walt, had to somehow force his memory and all that he knew of the Others to come to the surface.

**A/N:** Well? What did you guys think? As always, your feedback is _really_ appreciated because it really helps me see what areas I need to start adding more to and so on. So thanks for reading and please review because I'd love to hear from all of you!


	6. Interogation

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! I'm _so_ sorry about not updating for a while. The school year is almost over, so as I'm sure all of you know and experience, teachers think its their duty to make life miserable by adding extra large workloads. So that has basically been my life for the past month.

Oh, I've been meaning to ask. I've seen a lot of writers on use little lines/barriers to separate scenes in their stories. Do any of you know how to do that? I'd really like to figure that one out since I just use (SPACE) to separate mine…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Lost or any of the characters or ideas from the show.

**Warning:**** This chapter contains some violent/graphic portions in the last scene that are borderline R-rated. This includes implied rape and abuse. If this bothers you, please don't read the last scene after the (SPACE) marker.**

**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 5: Interogation**

"Jack!" Sayid called briskly, eyes traveling towards the doctor's quickly retreating form. Sayid couldn't imagine what had made Jack turn away so suddenly, but he meant to find out, "What are you doing?"

Jack came to a hasty stop, his entire frame caught up in such an intensity that he seemed utterly annoyed at Sayid's interruption.

"I need to talk to Walt," Jack responded hurriedly, his voice shaking slightly. He hardly paused before he once again made a move to go on his way.

"Can this wait until morning?" Sayid questioned, once again stopping Jack.

This time, Jack not only brought his pace to a halt, but violently turned to face Sayid. The look in Jack's eyes was one Sayid couldn't recall having ever witnessed before, particularly not in a man as peaceful as Jack Sheppard. It was a look of pure determination, yes, but it was also something else. Something much more hostile, perhaps even haunted.

"No," Jack's response was laced with venom, though it hardly showed in his face. But somehow, Sayid sensed it and shuddered at the thought. It just wasn't fitting for a man like Jack.

"What good will it do?" Sayid pressed, hoping that if he could distract Jack away from his cause, perhaps he would be more rational about it in the morning, "It's late. There's only a few hours left until morning, why not wait? He's probably asleep."

The chuckle that emerged from Jack's lips was a haunted, burdened one. His mouth twisted into a fidgety smile as he simply shook his head, continuing to chuckle, "You think anyone could be asleep after all that?" Jack's voice was almost amused as he motioned his head towards the jungle, to where Henry Gale had disappeared mere moments before.

Shaking his head and sighing in defeat, Sayid said, "I suppose you're right…"

Before more could be said, Jack had stepped away from the conversation and was heading towards the cave where Sun slept. Sayid turned away from watching Jack and moved to glance at Locke, who stood much in the same way he did, observing.

"You should follow him…" Locke suggested, only small traces of emotion present in his voice and demeanor.

Sayid nodded, "I know…"

"He hasn't been himself, lately…" Locke said quietly, eyes fixed on Sayid.

"I hardly blame him," Sayid responded in Jack's defense, finding it in his heart to understand what Jack might be suffering. Without another word, Sayid turned away from Locke and strode off to find Jack.

Back in Sun's cave, Walt found himself far too excited to stay put. He wanted to know what was going on outside. He had seen the stranger and felt almost cheated and not having recognized him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Walt had been so sure that if any of these Others had stumbled into their sight, Walt would have known them right away. He had pictured knowing a name, a face, _anything. _Somehow, he had been certain of that. But now he saw that he was wrong. This man, whoever he was, wasn't someone Walt could recall having ever seen before.

He sat next to Sun in the very back of the cave, their backs pressed firmly against the hard stone wall. Walt couldn't stand just sitting here, not doing anything, but Sun had his hand clasped solidly within her grasp and seemed unwilling to relinquish her hold for any reason. She seemed to be shaking slightly and Walt noted that her breathing was coming in tiny gasps. She was terrified.

Leaning forward as far as he possibly could and straining his ears to hear, Walt did his best to piece together what could be going on outside but found himself without so much as a hint. Though the night had become deadly silent since the mysterious appearance of the stranger, Walt still hadn't heard even the tiniest sound coming from Jack's cave. His curiosity was fast turning into impatience.

His fear stricken excitement reached its peak in the mere seconds it took for Walt to hear the shuffling of feet scraping against the dirt outside the cave. Someone was approaching. Within moments, Walt could see the dark outline of Jack's silhouette as he approached the cave.

Walt's heart pounded wildly in his chest as he jerked his hand swiftly from Sun's grasp, jumping to his feet. In his excitement and his need for answers, Walt took a step to rush towards Jack, but found that the man was already in front of him. He had been in a hurry. Walt's breath caught at the sight of Jack.

The exhaustion and guilt that had been so clearly etched into the lines on Jack's face only hours before was gone. It had been replaced by something else, something that left Walt feeling slightly uneasy. Nervous, even. There was a tension in the air that had come along with Jack, and somehow Walt knew that this didn't bode well for him.

"Jack-" Walt began, only to be immediately cut off by Jack.

"Walt…" Jack's voice had a terrible hint of desperation to it, perhaps something even greater than that. It sent a shiver down Walt's spine. Jack let the single word hang in the air, as if taking a brief moment to choose his words.

Stooping down to the boy's level, Jack reached out and gripped Walt's shoulders, directly meeting his gaze. Walt noticed immediately at the firm hold on his shoulders that Jack's hands were shaking.

"Listen, Walt," Jack feigned a calmness in his voice, one that was easily detected by Walt. Everything about his demeanor gave him away, "I'm going to need you to help me."

Jack paused, as though gauging Walt's reaction to his words. When the boy didn't respond or even show a change of expression, Jack briefly broke his gaze away to let it fall to the floor. The desperation had been clear in his voice. But it held a definite tone of impatience and frustration, even violence.

"I need you to tell me where they took you…" Jack questioned, gazing solemnly down at Walt, his eyes heavy. When Walt again failed to respond in any way, except perhaps to shiver slightly, Jack knelt down, bringing himself clearly down to the boy's level.

"I-" Walt began, voice faltering as he gazed unsteadily into Jack's eyes. There was a strong emotion there, but it held no pity for him. Walt swallowed hard, accepting this change, "I don't remember…"

"Try…" Jack's voice still held the tiniest shred of calm, but by the way that it shook and the look in his dark eyes, Walt knew that he was fighting a breakdown.

"But, Jack-" Walt continued, voice now in a low whimper as he gazed back at Jack in both confusion and fear. What had changed in these past few hours? Wasn't it just this same night that Jack had assured Walt without a doubt that he wasn't angry with him?

"_Try_!" Jack insisted, yelling suddenly and lurching menacingly towards Walt. Their faces were now inches apart as Jack stared Walt down and the boy unwillingly cowered away. Before he could move more than a step back, Jack had roughly grabbed Walt by the shoulders.

"Tell me where they are…" Jack demanded, eyes flashing dangerously in the dim firelight. Walt immediately tried to pull away, but Jack had a strong grip and was unmoved by his attempts.

"Jack, I don't-" Walt began again, his voice pleading as he whimpered to Jack, gazing fearfully up to meet his gaze. The anger that Walt found there was overwhelming, but it was the fear also that moved Walt. Jack was afraid. Through all of this sudden rage, there was fear.

"_Tell me where they are_!" Jack yelled roughly shoving Walt only to once again grip his shoulders and pull him back towards him with a force that shook the boy to the core. Letting out a yelp, Walt lost his footing and immediately began to slip to his knees. Jack wasted no time in strengthening his grip to violently jerk Walt back to his feet, once again at eye level with him.

"Jack!" came Sun's desperate plea, the softness that had always been present in her voice suddenly evaporating into the night. Her lips quivered as she spoke, and though it was hardly visible in the dim light, her entire frame shook.

Releasing the grip of one of his hands from Walt, Jack held it up for Sun to keep her distance, "Stay back!" he barked, pausing momentarily to be surprised at his own tone. It took him only seconds to jump right back into angry desperation, "This has to be done!"'

Before Jack could register the look of complete shock that surfaced across Sun's features or the light gasp that was uttered almost fearfully from her lips, Sun had shuffled hastily away from him and out of his reach. She wasted no time in rushing out of the cave, presumably to get help.

"Listen, Walt" Jack turned back to the boy, still slightly shaken from his encounter with Sun and the fear he had placed into her soft eyes, "If you don't remember, she'll die…"

Walt's eyes grew even wider than before, his lips parted in a silent gasp. Within an instant he could no longer register his surroundings properly. His heart pounded madly within his ears and he was conscious of every breath of air he drew in and each second that passed.

"They have her, Walt," Jack continued, seemingly unaware of the boy's state of panic and even worse, his obvious guilt, "They're going to hurt her. That man that came into the camp tonight, he said they're going to hurt her…"

Without warning, Walt went suddenly limp in Jack's grasp, tumbling to his knees as his body was racked with sobs. His face fell to the floor as a steady stream of hot tears poured from his eyes, rolling down his cheeks.

"I don't know anything!" he yelled between sobs, his throat hurting with the force behind his outburst. He continued to sob, if possible even harder than before as he lay crumbled on the floor. " I don't know _anything_!"

Jack still stood standing, staring down at Walt's crumbled form in slight confusion. Without warning, anger suddenly flooded through him. Though this sudden rage was not meant for Walt, that was where it went.

"You _have_ to remember! There has to be _something_!" Jack yelled, enraged that he couldn't get the information he needed. With every lost second, he felt the chance at ever finding Kate slipping through his fingers. "You were with them for days, Walt! You have to know _something_!"

"You said you didn't blame me!" Walt sobbed, struggling in his guilt and grief to look up at Jack, forcing himself to look the man directly in the eye, "You said this wasn't my fault!"

Before Jack could respond, a shuffling of footsteps could be heard at the entrance to the caves. Within moments, Sayid's form appeared as the man ran onto the scene, heavily panting. Sun stood cowering behind him, watching Jack warily and gazing sadly at Walt as the boy continued to cry.

"Jack!" Sayid called, though there was a definite tone of anger to his voice. Sayid's eyes flashed dangerously as he took in the scene around him, briefly studying Jack. He moved towards him, looming over the other man as if in threat.

"He knows how to find them…" Jack stuttered, the reality of the situation and the truth about what he had just done suddenly beginning to dawn on him, "He knows where they're keeping her…"

"He's just a boy, Jack!" Sayid thundered, looking incredulously at Jack, "Can't you see what you're doing?"

And then it came. Everything that had happened and all that Jack had just done came tumbling back at him, falling down around him. It all became perfectly clear and with this realization came an unbelievable sense of complete horror.

It was almost against his will that Jack let his eyes drop to the floor to Walt's crumbled form. The boy had been reduced to a fit of sobs. Never had Jack seen Walt break down like this. Not after the crash, or after they had found him running in a daze of confusion through the jungle, his father still among the missing. But this, Jack had done this.

"What have I done?" was the only thing that seemed able to slip off of Jack's lips as he drifted into a state of shock at his actions. What _had_ he done? What had he even been thinking?

Sayid continued to gaze on at Jack, as if satisfied that the man had seen the error in what he had done. This was too much for Jack. The realization that Kate was lost in the hands of these Others, that they had already hurt her and had every intention of doing worse had been a severe blow to Jack, but this was too much.

The heat of unshed tears burned in Jack's eyes as he gazed down at the boy, unable to contemplate what he had done. He knew he had done it for her, _only_ for her, but that it was her that would be horrified if she could see him now. She would never look at him the same way again if she could see what he had done. That he had been capable of pushing a child to this point. That it had taken Sayid's force to see reason.

"Walt…" was all Jack could manage. He swallowed hard, his head spinning in a fury of emotions.

The boy's head snapped up to gaze at Jack, his hard stare boring into him. His face was wet with tears, his eyes still glazed over and wide with fear and confusion. In the time that Sayid had broken Jack away from Walt, the boy had managed to push himself as far from Jack as he could, pressing himself firmly against the nearby cave wall and looking as though he wanted nothing more than to melt into the cool stone and disappear.

Turning away from Walt to Sayid, Jack found that the other man was gazing upon him in obvious disgust. Jack couldn't blame him. Whatever pity he knew that Sayid had felt for him previously had likely been washed away by Jack's recent behavior.

Jack felt a sudden need to explain, to give reason for his actions even though deep down he knew that no reason could be good enough. He knew that in the end, it was simply his fault and that any excuse would be meaningless. But as he continued to feel the burning from Sayid's disgust and Walt's now quiet whimpers continued to fill Jack's ears, he felt an unbearable need to explain.

"It was for her…" Jack forced out, feeling himself sweat nervously as he spoke, his words coming out in ragged breaths, "All of it…I did all of it for her…"

As Jack continued to struggle with his words, he had no way of knowing if Walt was even listening or if he cared. But by the look on Sayid's face, his words meant nothing.

"And what if she could see you now?" Sayid questioned, his voice holding a definite tone of accusation and barely controlled rage, "What would Kate think Jack?"

Jack felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier with Sayid's every word. He knew that the man was asking the right questions. Thoughts of what Kate would think if she could see him now had plagued his mind the very moment Jack had realized what a terrible thing he was doing. But Jack couldn't bring himself to voice the answer aloud. Instead, he continued to throw out defenses, as if pleading.

"They have her…" Jack's voice was shaking uncontrollably with desperation, "They're going to hurt her…"

"She wouldn't want this from you Jack," Sayid's voice, though still firm, had suddenly resolved into a softer, more pitying tone.

That was all it took for Jack to snap entirely. The tears that had been burning his eyes from the moment Henry Gale had told his chilling testimony of Kate's whereabouts. In the back of his mind, Jack thought he could hear Walt begin to cry harder, but he didn't have the strength or the courage to turn and face the boy. He didn't know if he could ever look at him again after the way he had treated him.

And through the long moments that Jack first succumbed to tears, both he and Sayid were shocked into silence as Walt's crying suddenly ceased. This new silence followed by Walt's mysterious stillness made a noticeable difference in the cave, and neither of the two men could tear their eyes away from the boy.

"Walt," Sayid began, as if trying to wake him up. It was clear though that Walt was fully awake.

As the seconds passed, Walt's eyes grew wide and he though his gaze was planted firmly on something towards the mouth of the cave beyond Jack and Sayid, it was as though he were looking at nothing at all. Walt gasped suddenly, causing both men to jump slightly, staring on in confusion.

"Walt," Sayid tried again, this time kneeling down next to the boy and moving to be level with him. Blinking away his tears, his moment to breakdown long since put on hold by this sudden change in Walt, Jack follow suit, "Walt!" Sayid repeated a little more loudly, placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder and lightly shaking him.

Walt snapped back into the present suddenly, his eyes falling back into their pools of fear. There was a sudden look of realization in his eyes and he drew himself immediately to Jack, though the fear from what had just happened was still clearly there.

"Jack…" Walt mumbled, struggling for the right words. He seemed to be in such a rush that his words were jumbled, "The rivers…in the jungle…I saw two rivers in the jungle…"

Jack's eyes grew wide as the reality of what Walt was saying began to wash over him. The memory of his time with the Others. Somehow, it was flowing back into the boy. If Walt could grasp it, if he could find a way to explain it all to Jack, then there was a chance that he could find Kate.

"Find the rivers, Jack…" Walt muttered, whimpering slightly breathing hard as he continued to stare intently at the man, a sudden coldness washing over him. He no longer shed any tears. All that remained of his breakdown from only moments ago was the redness of his cheeks and eyes, "You'll find her…"

With these final words from Walt, Jack sank to the floor beside the boy, falling from his knees to lean limply against the cave wall. Walt had moved to stare at the opposite wall, seemingly unwilling to give his attention to either of the men. He was completely silent and there was nothing to remind anyone in the room that only minutes ago Walt had lay crumbled on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. The look in his eyes now was uncaring and cold, almost haunting.

Jack sat completely still there beside Walt for several minutes. Sayid too refused to move, though his gaze never left Jack's still form. Jack was silent as he stared off into nothing. There was only one thing on his mind in these moments. Kate.

(SPACE)

Pain. That was perhaps the only sense or thought that could fully register in Kate's mind just now. Searing throughout her body, moving down her spine and extending out along each of her limbs. It was like a fire, scorching her from the inside out, its flames licking every inch of her thin frame.

The burning sensation that was racing like a fury through her frail body caused her to shake to the bone. Kate was hardly even aware of herself as she lay hunched in the dark corner of her cell, every inch of her body trembling with a vengeance.

The rough cement floor and walls that made up Kate's cell were a dark contrast to the heat that seemed to consume her entire being. They were cold and lifeless, brining chills to her demeanor and turning her skin to gooseflesh.

Her body shivered as though she were being exposed to a cold winter wind, but Kate felt the heat of pain wracking her body. Much of her form was wet with sweat, her face and eyes wet with dry tears. The once clean clothes she had been wearing upon being captured now reeked with the smell of sweat and vomit and were riddled with holes and tears.

Kate's breaths came in short, ragged gasps of exhaustion. With every breath came a sting of pain followed by a burning sensation deep within her chest. Kate was no doctor and had never known much about medicine, but she suspected a fractured rib. Kate closed her eyes tight at the thought of it, barely able to hold it in her mind. With it came a torrent of unwanted memories, ones that were far too clear and fresh.

She could still see them all standing over her. Looking at her with a twisted amusement as she lay writhing and shaking on the floor. Still feel the horror in her heart when they had grabbed her, kicked her, beat her. Many times during this encounter, Kate had been certain that she was going to die. She couldn't see how she could survive through it all. And it had only gotten worse.

Kate remembered the stalky, short man that was also in the room. She had never seen him before. He hadn't participated in anything, only watched on in an obvious state of amusement. He had the strangest smile plastered on his face. Kate would always remember that face. The face that had watched on as she was mercilessly beat and that satisfied look in his deep green eyes.

There had been another observer, one that Kate had come to know well. She had known from the moment she saw him that this bearded man was the leader. None of the others had done anything without first receiving a barked order from him. Of all of them, he had hurt her the worst. He had left her with an inner pain that she could hardly explain. A pain that she wanted nothing more than to forget, to dismiss completely from her mind. But it would never happen. Kate would always remember the man with the coarse gray beard.

She could still feel his greedy hands roaming her body, making her cringe. Still hear the roughness of his voice, how he had chuckled as he hurt her. Of all the men that had hurt her, none had brought her more terror than this one. It was as if he knew her every fear and made each one come to life.

Even now as she lay crumbled in the corner of her cell, shivering from the terror of what had been done to her, Kate could feel his hands on her. Touching her. Hurting her. Through it all, he had held a the long blade of a knife menacingly against her throat, his threat unquestionably clear. He had laughed at the fear in her eyes. Laughed as he tore at her clothes. Laughed as he beat her.

By the time he had finished, Kate lay limp and seemingly lifeless, no longer willing to fight. Her mind had been spinning in a fury of painful emotions, her eyes clouded with tears that spilled over, running down her cheeks.

She only cringed when she felt his hot breath against her face. He smelled of cigars and whisky, a smell that made her senses sting with recognition. It reminded her of Wayne.

The fight had long since been beaten and abused out of Kate. She could do nothing and hardly reacted when his face came crashing down upon hers, his greedy lips latching against her own. Kate had immediately felt the sense to be sick again. She had felt her stomach heave and her world spin. Hadn't what he had already taken from her been enough?

When he had pulled away, that twisted grin was plastered onto his smug face, taunting her through that wretched beard. As he continued to grin, the man lifted his hand, and balling it into a fist, brought it cascading down against Kate's face, colliding painfully with her lip. She felt her skin split in pain as the copper taste of blood filled her mouth and the warm liquid began to drip down her chin.

Without a word, the mad had left her and it was only then that Kate realized that they had been entirely alone throughout the whole ordeal. The other men, including the short, stalky one with the green eyes, had all disappeared.

It was then that Kate began to retch, feeling her stomach twist in disgust. She found herself suddenly sick and she rolled hastily onto her side, vomiting into the corner. Like a release, tears flowed freely from her eyes, falling like rain down her face.

Kate had hardly noticed when a group of men entered the room. Only when the door had clicked shut behind them and they had began their approach towards where she lay did Kate realize they were there. For a split second, her already thundering heart came to a stop, her breath catching painfully within her throat as she gasped. Her entire body clicked into action, leaping from her crumbled position on the floor to crouch defensively in the nearby corner, her back pressed firmly against the wall.

Like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, Kate stared wide eyed up at these men, the fear residing in her entire being reaching its peak. The faces that stared back at her couldn't have been more shocking. Before her stood three men, none of whom she had ever seen before. Each of them dressed similarly with loose fitting brown or gray pants and a white shirt.

Kate had noted right away that these men were different. If not from the way that they dressed, then by the look on their faces. Each of them gazed back at her with a wide eyed expression that wasn't unlike her own. The thundering in Kate's heart slowly began to slow down as her fear also began to fade, though it never went away entirely.

Not one of the three young men looked as though they had expected to see Kate this way. If anything, they looked slightly afraid of her. There was something there within each of their faces. A look of pity shone in their eyes, though it was masked clearly by something else. A kind of barrier that separated her from them.

Two of them had then stepped forward and gently lifted Kate to her feet. They then walked her out of the white washed room and back to the cell where Kate lay now, tired and afraid. Not knowing when they would come back for her. When they would hurt her again.

Rolling painfully onto her side, Kate clamped her eyes hastily shut, fighting off the urge to cry. In the past few hours since the ordeal, she had cried so much that she didn't think she had any tears left anyway. But even now Kate felt hot tears burning against her eyes.

Inhaling deeply and pushing back the need to cry Kate fought to let her mind drift, trying just for the chance at thinking about something else. Anything else. She didn't want to think about what had happened to her only hours ago. She didn't want to think about being captured by this unknown force. Most of all, she didn't want to think about what she might have left behind.

Licking her chapped lips, Kate's mouth was suddenly tainted with the coppery taste of blood. Tugging at the tattered neckline of her shirt, Kate lifted up the now loose and worn material up to wipe her lips. Pulling away, she saw a thick line of scarlet running along her shirt. Kate reached a shaking hand up to her mouth, letting her fingertips graze over her lips. She immediately found that they were swollen and recoiled as her fingers made contact with the bruising skin there.

Closing her eyes, Kate fought against the still vivid picture of the bearded man's weight pressed against her, his hot breath against her face as he raised his fist to hit her. Just as his fist came crashing down in her mind, she forced the thought away, wincing.

Her mind shifted to a more peaceful time, one that was only days earlier, but seemed so long ago. It drifted to a chill night, a light wind blowing that occasionally lifted her hair to dance in the wind. The cave in which she found herself was lit by the dim firelight of a torch at its mouth.

She sat next to him on a cot, his eyes dancing and his lips twisted into the tiniest of grins as he watched her. _Jack_. Each of them were talking, though just now Kate couldn't recall a word of it. She saw only his face, his hands, his chest. Everything about him. She saw the dark stubble on his face and the deep cinnamon of his eyes. She saw his hands fidget nervously as he spoke to her, playing idly with the hem of his red plaid over-shirt.

And as the Kate in her mind hesitantly rose from the cot and made to leave, She watched as he too leapt to his feet, his hands flying out with an almost too perfect rhythm to capture her own and with a flick of his wrist, pull her with a gentle force to the circle of his arms.

Finally, Kate watched as his lips came crashing down upon hers, kissing the lips that would later be tainted and bruised by the man that would take her. Capture her. Hurt her.

Without warning, a single tear rolled down Kate's cheek as all of these memories surfaced in her mind. It hurt when she couldn't remember every detail, when she realized that this new pain she had been put through held a new dominance in her mind.

Sniffling, she knew that Jack was what she had left behind. _He_ would have been her future. _He_ would have been her now. Before he had kissed her and before she had been taken, her biggest worry aside from that of fighting for survival had been of letting Jack in. Of letting him see who she was, discovering all the skeletons in her closet. She had worried about allowing herself to trust him, of letting herself believe that she deserved something as good as Jack. But now, she realized that none of those things mattered. Now, her only worry was that she might never have to worry about those things again.

And it was with that thought that Kate's single tear turned into another and that those few tears soon turned into soft crying. Within moments, Kate's cries intensified and soon she was reduced to sobs.

Kate continued to sob as there was a light buzzing noise in the room. The single energy preserving light that hung from a crude aluminum fixture above Kate's head began to flicker and within seconds went out. Just as it had done at the same time everyday that Kate had been there. It signified night, telling her that the day was over. That she should sleep. That she _needed_ to sleep. But that she never could.

And as she sat with her knees brought up to rest against her chest, her chest heaving as her body was racked with sobs, Kate found her mind in a fury of thoughts and emotions. Above all though Kate knew as she sat shaking, one thought rang clear in her mind. _Jack_.

**A/N: **Well, what did you guys think? Probably on this chapter more than ever, I really need feedback from you guys. First off, did you think any of it was too intense for a T (PG-13) rating? Constructive criticism is always greatly appreciated, so please review guys! Next chapter is on the way, and this time I mean it!


	7. Delayed

**A/N: **Well, I can't believe I actually finished a chapter this weekend! This without a doubt the busiest I've been yet, all because of end of semester finals. It figures that now of all times I go on a writing frenzy when I hardly even have time to breathe.

Anyway, as seems to be my habit, I always get motivated when its hardly the time for me to be writing, so now I've got a chapter. I hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer: ** I don't own any of the characters or ideas that you recognize from the show…

* * *

**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 5: Delayed**

The chill night air of the caves was laced with a looming tension as Jack made his way back to his own cave. His mind was in a fury of guilt as he continued to replay the previous scene in his mind. He envisioned himself angry, yelling mercilessly at Walt and even jerking the boy up by the shoulders. And even now, as it was all so fresh, Jack could see the look of betrayal in the boy's eyes accompanied by the fear. He could still see Walt running from Sun's cave, face wet with tears, fleeing from Jack's rash actions.

As Jack entered his cave, he walked briskly to the back where he kept his supplies. Grabbing his empty pack, he lifted it up and set it out on the medical car where he stored much of the camp's medicine and unzipped it. He then began reaching for anything he might need for a long hike. He took extra clothing, an airline blanket, a small flashlight and a bottle of aspirin and began throwing the items into his pack.

Jack's mind was not on his task as he continued to pack. It was as if he was working in a haze, not really considering what he was doing. All he could think about was that the Others were real. They existed. And most of all, that they had her. They had _Kate_. And with that knowledge, there was no question in Jack's mind that he had to go after her. He had to find them and take back what didn't belong to them.

_"Every bruise, Jack, she'll be paid back two fold!"_

Gale's words, his chilling promise rang like a mantra through Jack's mind, clouding his every thought. It was all he could think about, all he could even consider. They didn't just have her and they weren't just keeping her as a captive. They were _hurting_ her. With every passing moment they had her, she would be in pain. Suffering. And there was nothing that Jack could do about it. Nothing that could erase what had already been done and what would continue until he found her.

"Jack," the thickly accented voice came just as Jack slung his pack over his shoulder, empty water bottles in hand. Before Jack had even finished turning around, he knew from the tone and the accent that the voice belonged to Sayid.

Without a word, Jack turned to face Sayid. He inwardly sighed with frustration as he met the man's dark, seemingly cold eyes. It took only a flash of a second for those eyes to spark with an untamed anger like nothing Jack had ever seen before.

"Where are you going?" Sayid asked, eyes flashing. From his tone, Jack knew that it wasn't a question so much as an accusation. Sayid knew well where Jack was going and what he intended to do.

"I'm going after her, Sayid…" Jack said firmly, his voice laced with a sound determination that was mirrored in the depths of his eyes.

"You're making a mistake," Sayid pressed, eyes forcing every accusation possible at Jack. There was a flare of pity within those brown orbs, a sense of utmost sincerity in the contours of his face, but Sayid held strong to his contrasting words.

And that was when Jack too snapped, succumbing to the soaring anger that coursed wildly through his veins, "You call it a mistake, saving an innocent woman's life?" Jack all but yelled, voice escalating with each word. His face had reddened with anger as he spoke, his blood rushing and throbbing in his ears as his pulse raced with his ever growing furry.

Sayid was momentarily taken aback at the reproach in Jack's voice and the disgust in his demeanor. Within seconds though, he was back on his feet, "And that's all this is, Jack?" Sayid questioned, face contorted in obvious rage, "What of the rest? What about them? You're our only doctor, Jack and you would leave us, all of us, for the sake of one!"

In the pit of Jack's chest, he felt the tingle of guilt building up, threatening to expand. He knew what he was doing, what he was chancing. He knew that he may never come back. And most of all, he recognized how much each and every one of the survivors had come to depend on him. Since the crash, there wasn't a single one of them that hadn't come to him for some scrape.

"Sun can-" Jack defensively, eyes displaying his hurt expression of guilt. He was immediately cut off by Sayid.

"She isn't a doctor, Jack!" Sayid retorted, the extent of his anger effectively doubling, "If there was an emergency, another accident like Boone, they wouldn't stand a chance!"

Jack winced at the mention of Boone. The sting of failure and the wound of Jack's conscience at the loss of Boone was still far too fresh. Could he live with himself if he allowed that to happen again?

"It doesn't matter!" Jack yelled suddenly, allowing all of his pent up frustration from the past week to catch up with him, spilling out before he could think to control it, "I'm not leaving her out there!"

"These people need you _here_, Jack!" Sayid retorted, unwilling to allow himself to pity Jack anymore than he already did. He didn't even want a single thought of Kate to enter his mind, for if he allowed it to for just a moment, then he knew that he would be right there with Jack, ready to run off into any jungle to bring her back, "You're their leader. They depend on you. What's going to happen when you're not here?"

"And Kate isn't my responsibility too?" Jack thundered, looking incredulously at Sayid. Jack let his gaze drop to the floor, his lips twisting into a grim smile as he shook his head in disbelief, "I watched her walk into the jungle that night. I _let_ her go and I didn't follow her. I didn't even protect her, and now they've got her. They're _hurting_ her, Sayid! I'm not going to leave her out there. I _can't_, not when this is my fault. Not when it was my responsibility to keep her safe and I just let her walk into their hands!"

There was silence in the cave as Sayid found himself at a loss for words. The intensity Jack had displayed just now was more than he had ever expected and now both men had no idea how to respond to it. Jack simply stood there, breathing heavily as he recovered from his rage, letting himself cool down. He still forced an angry gaze at Sayid, but behind that mask a desperation lay hidden, looming in the shadows of his eyes. With it was a fear that Jack couldn't deny.

"She's been gone too long, Jack," Sayid spoke up after a moment, voice suddenly much softer. Though his face still radiated the anger and frustration that he felt, the more dominant emotion in his eyes was the pity he felt for both Jack and Kate and his wish that there could be an easier way to bring an end to all of this.

"It's not too late," Jack muttered defensively, his eyes beginning to water with the sting of hot tears fighting to escape.

"Let's be honest with ourselves, Jack…" Sayid continued, hating what he was saying, but knowing that it had to be said. If this was what it took to make Jack see the foolishness in going after Kate alone, then this was what had to be done, "It's possible that she wasn't able to survive this long."

The look on Jack's face in that moment was enough to make Sayid want to take back everything. He knew that he had been harsh and that he had every intention of continuing to be so, but it was for the sake of everyone that Jack not go looking for Kate. Losing their only doctor was not something the survivors could afford to do. Perhaps if Jack stayed, others could be convinced to go out looking for where Kate was being kept. But not Jack. Not someone so vital.

"No…" Jack said after a moment, his entire demeanor shattered and broken beyond repair. He shook his head, gaze dropping to the floor as he laughed incredulously. In a moment's time, he brought his gaze back to Sayid, suddenly serious, "No…I won't believe that…"

Sayid had to admire Jack's determination, but he couldn't help but feel that the man was simply in denial. What good would losing Jack do if Kate was already a lost cause? In his heart, Sayid knew that the chances of her having lived this long in the hands of the Others were slim to none. What he knew of these Others wasn't good and it indicated that they were savage and brutal. When they claimed they still held her captive, Sayid had believed it was only a bluff and he still believed that.

"Don't be a fool, Jack," Sayid said grimly, hating the turn this argument had taken, "You'd only be giving them what they want…"

"She's not dead, Sayid," Sayid was surprised at the absolute sincerity in Jack's words. It was as though Jack knew without a doubt that what he said was true, "She's alive and I'm going to find her…"

There was a long pause, but finally Sayid spoke up, "Jack," his voice was solemn, as if voicing his final stand, "You can't let your personal feelings get in the way. Not at a time like this…"

Jack blinked back hot tears, once again allowing his gaze to drop to the dirt floor of the cave as though studying the intricate patterns of sand and stone. The silence loomed over them for what seemed like an eternity as Jack refused to respond to Sayid's suggestion. Jack knew it was meant as advice, but the more that the words repeated in his mind, the more they sounded like a burning accusation.

Swallowing hard, Jack mustered up the courage to respond, "I have to do this, Sayid," Jack said solemnly, hot tears burning his eyes, "And there isn't anything you could say or do that would convince me otherwise…"

"Then I suppose we're done here," Sayid responded, speaking almost as thought he had just been slapped. And in his own mind, he might as well have been.

Jack nodded, hardly knowing what else to say. An awkward sense of uncertainty hovered in the air around them. It increased the tension between Sayid and Jack that was already thick enough to be cut with a knife.

Without another word, Sayid walked away, exiting the cave. He left Jack alone to consider the previous conversation, to wonder if he might be making a mistake. He knew that if he was going to do this, if he was going to go after Kate, then he couldn't allow himself to consider what it really meant or even what the consequences could be. He couldn't think about all of the people he would be leaving behind to fend for themselves. He wouldn't deny that the entirety of the camp depended entirely upon him. He knew also that with him gone, if anyone was seriously injured, there would be no way of properly treating them.

Jack's hands unconsciously shook as he stooped over the stream that ran through the caves, silently filling his water bottles. The caves were still under the dark of night, quiet as the rest of the survivors still slept. Jack couldn't see how any of them could find sleep, not after what had happened with Henry Gale stumbling into the camp. Even if Jack had wanted to, he knew he couldn't force himself to sleep after that.

Brushing away his thoughts, Jack finished filling the water bottles and hastily stowed them away in his pack. He wanted to leave in a hurry so that he could be well away from the caves before the sun came up. He didn't want any of the other survivors to stumble upon him, not after he was obviously leaving them. He didn't want that guilt.

As Jack turned away from the caves, he immediately began to head for the jungle. Just as he stepped through the tree line he felt the all too familiar sense of danger and unease. It was as if it were a foreign danger, but one that he had felt every time he had set foot into the seemingly never ending maze of trees. It was as though he were being watched. He had been certain on more than one occasion that someone was watching him. So sure in fact, that he had stopped moving completely and waited in a still silence for someone to step out of the trees. But no one ever did.

Hardly at ease, Jack continued to make his way through the thick jungle, moving in a direction that clearly led off of the regular trail to the hatch. Soon, the clear way underfoot made way for logs and fallen branches, smaller plants and ferns growing up around them. The trees were twice as thick here, for no trail had been blazed to prevent them from getting in the way. It was how Jack had wanted it, when he had hidden the case. He hadn't wanted it to be in a place anyone would suspect. A little extra security couldn't hurt, he had thought at the time. In addition, anyone who managed to find the case would also have to have the key to open the nearly impenetrable object.

Trudging on, Jack finally reached a familiar clearing. It was littered with fallen trees, all rotting into stumps and logs. Plants and moss had grown up through many of them, linking them together through thick greenery. Jack wove his way through the mess of wood and shrubs, his boots and the hem of his jeans growing moist from the contact with the tall, dew ridden grass that was spread like wildfire throughout the clearing. He was heading for the center, where what was clearly the largest, thickest fallen tree lay, now covered by several smaller ones.

Reaching the log he had been heading for, Jack immediately stooped down, finding the hollow beneath the log that he had been looking for. It was covered by plant life, hiding its existence. Pushing away the vines, Jack reached inside, his fingers brushing against the cold metal of the Halliburton case. Getting a better grip on it, Jack pulled the case from its hiding place, lifting it out into the cool night air.

Jack could hardly make out its outline, for the thick trees blocked out nearly all of the moonlight. The clearing was a deep and foreboding shade of black, making it impossible to see precisely what he was doing. Fumbling through his pack, Jack cursed under his breath when he realized that he had forgotten to bring any source of light. Not even a common cigarette lighter, or a flashlight made for a key ring.

Sighing, Jack held the case in his hands, pulling it close to his chest. He held it tightly, as though afraid someone might try to take it away. But no one was there. He was alone. He was walking on his own into an impossible situation, one he knew he may very well never walk out of.

Gripping the case a little tighter, his knuckles turning white from the pressure, Jack nervously ran his fingers through his short cropped hair. Just touching the case, feeling its cool, rigged texture brought vivid memories to his mind, ones that seemed so long ago. In reality, it had been little more than a month.

_"Is this it? Is this what you wanted?" Jack had asked, "What is it?"_

_"Its nothing…" Her eyes haunted, tearing up._

_"What is it, Kate?" A touch of venom in his voice._

_"You wouldn't understand…" Her tone laced with bitter defiance._

_"I want the truth!" Jack yelled suddenly, eyes blazing. In an instant he managed to soften them, inwardly pleading, though outwardly accusing, "Just this once…What is it?"_

_"It belonged to the man I loved…" It was as if she was testing the water, not yet ready to jump in. Her eyes never leave Jack, though it is obvious that she is fighting him with every ounce of strength she has._

_"The truth!" he shouts again, no longer able to hide his frustration._

_"It belonged to the man I loved…" Kate tried again, voice shaking as she fought to tear her gaze away from Jack._

_"Stop lying and tell me the truth!" The biting tone of his voice stung her as she cringed, shrinking away from him._

_"I'm not…" her voice was pleading, begging him to just let her be, "It belonged to the man I killed…" she confessed after a few moments, her eyes finally dropping away from his burning gaze._

Blinking rapidly, Jack let out a breath. Despite the weeks that had passed since the incident, he still felt guilt for the way he had acted. Like it had been his business. Like it was her responsibility to tell him those things. It had been better between them since. He had made it up to her somehow. Still though, he knew it would be wrong to forget it all together.

Releasing his grip on the case with one hand, Jack reached up to finger the thin nylon cord around his neck. He immediately felt the smooth metal of the key that dangled just below his neckline, out of site. He tugged at the cord, pulling it from his neck.

Turning the case over in his hands, Jack realized that in the pitch blackness of the clearing, he had no hope of making out where the keyhole was on the case. Brushing his fingertips over the surface of the case, Jack felt around for the indent in the metal that he knew was there, if he could just find it.

Finally, he found it and held his finger firmly there so that he wouldn't lose site of it while he shifted the case in his arms. Lifting the key, he tried several times to bring it to the hole, though finding this to be a nearly impossible task in the dark surroundings. It took him several moments to succeed and as he did he quickly turned the key in the lock. His ears were met with a satisfying popping sound as the case clicked open.

Opening the case, Jack pulled out the nine millimeter nearest to his hand. He checked to make sure it was set on safety before placing it securely into the back hem of his jeans. He then took a single box of ammo from the case, but hesitated before sticking it in his pack. Did he really need an entire box? If the worst were to happen and he never came back, the rest of the survivors would only be left with a single box of ammo. Deciding it was for the best, Jack put the ammo box back into the case and took only the ammunition that was already in the gun. He hoped that it was all he would need.

* * *

Kate felt as though she were less than nothing as she lay cowering in the corner of her cell. The air around her held only a faint chill, yet still she shivered uncontrollably, never ceasing. Her breathing was erratic, her mind in a fury of emotions. How long had it been that she was here? It felt as though she had always been here, like there hadn't ever been anything else before this. All of her life up to this point almost felt like a dream.

She was certain that she hadn't been in this place for more than a week, but the pain and disgust she felt begged to differ. Every bone in her body felt as if it was alight with fire, its embers constantly burning away at her from the inside out.

In the back of her mind, Kate could still here that husky laughter and taste the stench of whisky and cigars on her breath. He had come back for her only once since the last time, but it had been enough. If she never set eyes on that monster of a man again, Kate wondered if she would move past all of this even then. She wondered if she would ever begin to feel anything other than insignificant to the world ever again.

She felt broken; used. Like everything that was good inside her was gone without a trace. She wondered if she was even the same person that she had been after the crash. After meeting Jack. And her heart ached for him. He was the peace in her mind, the thought that kept her from surrendering herself all together. She hardly knew if he would come for her, or that it would even be worth it for him if he did. What would he think if he ever found her like this? If he knew how she had been used and what they had done to her. What that _man_ had done to her.

Since her last encounter with him, Kate could put a name to his face. DeGroot. Gerald DeGroot. She had heard some of the men say it and now it was shackled to her mind, bound by a pain that she could never forget. Gerald DeGroot was responsible for what she felt. He was the reason that she could never be what she once was. Because of him, Jack would look on her with repulsion. She was sure of it.

And so she continued to lay like that, her thoughts never leaving this all too familiar track. She tried not to put too much thought into Jack or to remember the times they had had in these past two months on the island. It wouldn't be fair to remember him that way, for those times were over. It was like this that she waited. For what, she wasn't sure, but whatever it was she knew it was coming. She waited for Jack to come. She waited for the rejection she would feel almost immediately upon seeing him. But most of all, Kate waited for the crackling sound of the intercom. For the shuffling of feet outside her door. And for them to come for her to take her back to DeGroot.

As she lay there shivering, her throat dry from constant sobs and her eyes unable to shed anymore tears, her heart suddenly stopped when the crackling of the intercom sounded overhead. And suddenly the tears came, though she had been certain that there were none left to shed. She whimpered in fear, and unconsciously fidgeted where she lay, knowing what was coming. And it did, for just then she heard the shuffling of feet outside the door of her cell.

* * *

Jack had been walking for well over an hour. He had passed through the clearing where the hatch was about twenty minutes ago, and was well on his way towards the island's makeshift golf course. Once he passed that, Jack knew that he would be in unfamiliar territory.

As he walked on, his mind was clouded with thoughts of Kate. He couldn't help but wonder how she was just now and where she was. Henry Gale's words still rang clear in his mind, ever repeating like a mantra. And he had to wonder, how could anyone want harm her? How could these people, these Others, want to harm _anyone_. And they had. They had harmed Claire and Walt and Charlie. And now Kate.

He didn't want to think of what they could be doing to her. When the thought would cross his mind, he would clamp his eyes tightly shut, trying his best to block it out. But those kinds of thoughts always came back because he knew they were real and until he found her, they would remain so.

Jack was torn suddenly from his thoughts as he heard a twig snap behind him. He jumped at the sound, having thought he was alone. Whipping around, Jack reached behind his back and pulled out the nine millimeter all in one fluid motion, aiming it expertly in front of him. He didn't have the time or the train of thought to see the irony in an L.A. surgeon suddenly being so familiar with such a foreign object as a gun.

Silence loomed around Jack for what seemed like an eternity. After several moments, he began to question having ever heard the noise, suspecting that it could have all be in his head. But then he had to wonder if perhaps the intruder had grown silent because of Jack's awareness.

"I know you're there!" Jack shouted out into the trees, eyes searching out every possible opening in the brush for some kind of movement.

"There's no use hiding!" Jack shouted again, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His hands quivered ever so slightly as he held the gun, heart racing, "I can hear you!"

But there was no reply and the silence continued to loom over Jack. The wind blew a chill breeze through the jungle, moving the branches of the trees and plants ever so lightly as if mocking Jack. He was just about to give up, to brush off the suspicion that he was being watched, but then his answer came.

There was a rustling in the bushes and again Jack whipped around towards the sound, finding it to be coming from the completely opposite direction than he had thought, "Come on out!" Jack goaded, yelling for whoever it was to make their presence known. If this was an attack, he was as ready as he would ever be. He wanted it all to happen so that it could be over, no matter what the outcome.

Jack was no longer willing to stay still. He continuously rotated his body, moving the aim of the gun as he went, unwilling to leave his back open to any one spot for longer than he had to. If he was honest with himself, he had no idea what direction his attacker was coming from and he needed to be ready.

"Put the gun down, Jack," came a thickly accented voice from just behind him. It was an order with no hint of suggestion.

Whirling around, Jack saw the thin frame of a woman emerging from the thick trees. At first he could only make out her dark silhouette, but he knew right away from her voice, a rich French accent, exactly who she was.

"Rousseau…" Jack breathed, hardly able to believe he was seeing her. After she had run off that day at the Black Rock, leaving the rest of them to deal with finding the dynamite and taking it back to the hatch, Jack hadn't expected to see her again anytime soon.

But yet she stood before him now, wearing her same worn khakis and cut off sleeve shirt, her thick untamable curls blowing lightly with the cool night air. She had her rifle slung uncharacteristically over her shoulder in an almost leisurely way, surprising Jack. He had half expected her to have it pointed directly at him.

After several moments, Jack caught his breath and his heart managed to slow down a little. Now slightly sure that she meant him no harm, Jack lowered the gun to his side but made no move to put it away completely.

"It is a brave thing that you're doing, Jack," Rousseau stated after a moment, looking Jack directly in the eye. Her voice held the same tone as it always did. One might call it emotionless or dull, but to Jack it had always sounded pained and exhausted.

"How do you know what I'm doing?" Jack questioned, hardly able to hide the accusatory tone from his voice. This woman wasn't to be trusted. After spending sixteen years alone on this hell hole of an island, who could say if she was even still sane?

"I'm not so blind as you may think," she responded simply, her voice holding a thoughtful edge, "Your people, those who survived the plane crash, you are not so secret. You are easily found out."

Jack found himself speechless, not knowing how to respond. There were several moments of silence before she again spoke up, as though completely undisturbed by this awkward stretch of silence.

"This thing you're doing, it is brave," she repeated just as she had before, nodding to Jack as though giving him her respect, "But it is a foolish thing none the less…"

"I have to get her back…" Jack felt a sudden need to defend himself as he shot back at Rousseau, hardly understanding his need to prove anything to her.

"And you would risk your life to do so…" It was not a question that Rousseau voiced, but more like she was simply stating a fact, "You must be careful of these Others," she warned after a moment, voice tense, "You will find that they are not what you believe them to be…"

"Wait, what do you know about them?" Jack questioned immediately, voice rushed. What if she knew about them? What if she could tell him where he could find them?

"Your friends, have they opened the hatch?" Rousseau casually questioned, completely dismissing Jack's question. Her voice sounded genuinely concerned.

"You know where she is, don't you?" Jack's voice grew suddenly accusing, his eyes alight with the tiniest flicker of rage, "You know where they're keeping her!"

"Sayid was right in saying it should be left alone…" Danielle continued to comment, once again nonchalantly dodging Jack's question. It was almost as if he wasn't even there and that she was simply talking to herself.

"Tell me where she is!" Jack yelled, moving suddenly close to Rousseau, as if threatening. His eyes were alight with anger, his heart beating with a fury within his chest.

"The boy will know more than I do about them…" she spoke after a moment, eyeing Jack warily and looking as if she might reach for her rifle. There was little more than a foot separating them now, leaving her little room to make any sort of movement without Jack being able to stop her.

"I already talked to Walt," Jack said firmly, considering pulling the gun on her. He was certain it would have the desired affect, "Tell me what _you_ know."

"What did the boy tell you?" Rousseau persisted, unwilling to surrender anything to Jack. She completely ignored his menacing tone.

Sighing in frustration, Jack decided to respond truthfully, "He said there were two rivers," Jack spoke almost begrudgingly, "He said I should find them…"

"Yes…" Rousseau said thoughtfully, eyes falling away from Jack's as if to consider her words before speaking again, "The twin rivers…"

"Where can I find them?" Jack asked hurriedly, heart pumping madly with excitement.

Casually, Rousseau lifted a hand and pointed to Jack's left, out into the distance, "Look there," she said, motioning with her hand, "Do you see those mountains?" Jack nodded, "There is a flat topped one, a plateau, directly in the center. Do you see it?"

Jack let his gaze fall in amongst the mountains, finding it difficult to fully distinguish them in the dark. If he looked hard enough, he could see their rocky expanses highlighted by flecks of moonlight, defining their features. After several moments, Jack's eyes landed on a formation that looked strangely cut off at its peak, just as Rousseau had said. He nodded to her, telling her he saw it.

"The rivers flow straight through to that plateau," Rousseau said thoughtfully, her eyes looking lost in the expanses of wilderness before them, "Follow them, and you will find what you are looking for."

Several moments of silence passed as Jack studied the mountain formations before him, struggling to make out each of their outlines in the dark. He hardly knew what to think, having information that he had been so desperate for only hours before being suddenly thrust before him.

"The Others…"Jack murmured after a moment, his eyes finally breaking away from the dim outline of the mountains and falling onto Rousseau, "What did you mean when you said that they aren't what they seem?"

"And what do they seem to you, Jack?" Again Rousseau met Jack's question with one of her own, spurring his thoughts. What _did_ he think of the Others?

It took Jack several moments to find his words as he stumbled over the countless thoughts and fears that he had summed up over the past week. When he finally spoke, his voice quivered ever so slightly, his eyes alight with an inner rage, "They're evil…" he said after a moment, obviously suffering to say it. The word sounded so foreign coming from his own lips, laced with venom and bitterness. The anger in his voice and the pain that they had caused him was eminent, "They take people, innocent people, and they hurt them…What they do, it isn't fair and I don't understand it…"

Rousseau's lips twisted into what Jack could have sworn was some kind of demented grin, as though brushing off some experience of her own. The rough and bitter edge to her voice was not lost on Jack, "And perhaps they are…" She spoke through gritted teeth, shaking her head as she spoke, "But then again, perhaps they _aren't_…"

The anger in Jack, his hatred towards the Others for all that they had done sparked suddenly within him, reaching a height, "I've _seen_ one of them! He said they hurt them! He said they were going to hurt _her_!" Jack's voice was torn with tears, his lips quivering as he spoke, "They're not even _human_! Not after what they've done!"

Rousseau shook her head, looking intensely at Jack, "They are not what you think…" she spoke seriously, eyes falling directly upon Jack, "Not _all_ of them…"

"What are you saying?" Jack asked, taken aback by what she was implying. He didn't understand. He _couldn't_ understand. Not just now when he was so bent on hating them, _all_ of them. He had to hate them or else he wouldn't be able to go after them like he intended to.

"You will understand in due time," Rousseau responded, as if finally understanding something, "You're not ready just yet. It will be better for you to _see _rather than hear…"

Jack didn't know if he should demand that Rousseau explain herself or if he should simply run the other way. He knew that she was likely implying things that he didn't want to hear. But unlike the other survivors, at least she hadn't tried to talk him out of it or tried to tell him that Kate was dead. Somehow, Rousseau seemed to share his belief, or his hope that Kate was alive. But she gave him no assurances that he would find her. He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised at her faith in Kate's survival. After all, from what Jack had heard from Sayid, Rousseau had spent sixteen years believing that her infant daughter, who had been taken by the Others a week after her birth, was still alive.

"I have something that may be of use to you…" Rousseau commented after a moment, slinging her pack over her shoulder as she began rummaging through it. Jack didn't know what to think, or even if he should trust her not to pull some kind of weapon out of her pack and attack him.

When she had finished digging through her pack, she produced a small object that Jack could hardly make out in the darkness. She held it out to him, her body straightened almost proudly, as if this were some kind of proof. Jack reached out gingerly, not knowing how to feel about accepting it. She lightly dropped the object in his hand and took a step back, tentatively watching for his reaction.

Clutching the object in a balled fist, Jack realized that it was small enough to fit into his palm. Opening his fingers, Jack held the object up into the thin rays of moonlight that leaked through the canopy of trees, letting the dim glow wash over it. Right away, he discovered what it was with some confusion.

"A lighter?" Jack questioned skeptically, unable to find any connection this lighter might have to his purpose.

Rousseau nodded, her lips twisting into that same absurd grin that he had witnessed previously in the conversation. The look in her eyes gave Jack the impression that she knew a great many things that he didn't, as though she were proudly keeping some kind of secret.

"I don't understand…" Inwardly Jack was fuming, frustrated at not getting the answers he wanted from Rousseau, and her not seeming particularly concerned.

"You will," was all she said, unwilling to offer him more than that. She knew that the answers he needed were better learned if he found them himself, "I hope that you find her, Jack…" For the first time she seemed genuinely sincere, her eyes haunted as though remembering a time when she had been in his place and the fact that she stood here now, sixteen years later, empty handed.

Without another word, Rousseau turned away from Jack and began heading back into the dense jungle. It only took her seconds to disappear completely from his sight, enveloped by the looming darkness.

She had left Jack standing alone in the middle of the jungle, more confused and lost than he had been before. What could she have meant? And could anything she had said even be trusted?

Hesitating for a moment, Jack lifted the lighter Rousseau had given him into the light again. He couldn't imagine what kind of significance such a simple object might have. Rousseau obviously knew a lot more even than what she was letting on. Why couldn't she have just told him what she meant? Wouldn't it be better if he knew now rather than later? He couldn't understand her hesitance.

Turning the lighter over in his hands, Jack began to examine it closely for the first time. He held it inches from his face, shifting it in his fingers to let the light fall on it, the dim glow of the moonlight washing over it at various angles. It was then that Jack noticed a glint of metal shining off of its white plastic exterior, reflecting in the light. He rubbed his thumb lightly over that area, directly in the center of the lighter. It was rigged and carved out, like some sort of metal emblem.

Jack moved the lighter even closer to his face, fighting against the darkness to get a better look at the emblem. It was made of black painted metal that easily reflected with the moonlight against the white background of the lighter. Jack didn't recognize the emblem as any particular brand or logo that he might have expected for a cigarette lighter.

It looked almost like a black web, with each section perfectly proportioned to the next. It spiraled to its center in equally sized circles, each fitting intricately into the next. In the center of the web like design Jack made out an oddly shaped design, which at first glance looked like nothing more than a blob. Upon closer inspection, Jack realized that it was a swan. Beneath the swan, there was a single word engraved into the logo. Dharma.

Puzzled by the logo and not having a clue what to make of it, finally relented to his instincts and gave up on it. If Rousseau had been telling the truth and was indeed trying to help him, then the lighter and its emblem when make sense in time. Admitting to defeat, Jack reluctantly stuffed the lighter into his jeans pocket and went on his way. His encounter with Rousseau had taken up enough of his time. Now, he had to resume looking for the rivers so that he could follow them and find these Others.

He had been walking for less than ten minutes when a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him. He couldn't explain the feeling, but his heart began racing in response, every muscle in his body clenching with instant adrenalin.

A low rumble of thunder cracked overhead, causing Jack to jump, heart pounding. Within seconds large drops of rain began falling, soaking Jack to the bone. His clothes were soaked straight through almost immediately, the water running in torrents down his face. He shook his head, letting the built up droplets of rain fly out of his hair, only to be replaced by new ones as the rain continued to fall steadily.

More thunder cracked over head, and for a moment, Jack could have sworn he had heard something other than the storm he was now caught in. Like a quiet rustling in the bushes nearby, but he couldn't be sure. Heart pounding, Jack forced himself to a stop. The rain continued to fall without relent as he eyed the trees around him, looking for some sort of revelation.

Just as he was about to move on, a similar sound as Jack had heard before came. It was like a low rustling in the bushes and a cracking of leaves underfoot. Now that he was sure he had heard it, Jack immediately reached for the nine millimeter, pulling the gun from the hem of his dripping jeans.

The thought that it might be Rousseau following him occurred to Jack, but he brushed it off, knowing that it was rare for her to stay in one place for too long. _Besides_, he reasoned with himself, _I saw her leave in the opposite direction_. The realization that it was most likely not Rousseau stalking him now came as no relief to Jack. He could hear his blood rushing in his ears, his ever sense cautioned and alert as he waited for a sign.

The fear and anticipation that it might be _them_ rang clear in Jack's mind, causing his pulse to race. He gripped the gun tighter, adjusting his aim and waiting for something that he couldn't identify. As the sound came again, he whipped around wildly, unsure of what direction it had come from this time. He didn't think it would be wise to call out to whoever it was, despite his temptation to do so. If this indeed was the one of them, he had plenty he wanted to say to them.

"Rousseau!" Jack called out after what felt like an eternity. He was at a stalemate and he had to do something, "Rousseau!" he shouted again, his voice shivering with hope.

His calls were met by no answer. Only dead silence with nothing but the sound of the storm overhead, the rain falling around him and bouncing off the canopy of trees. There was a deadly stillness all around, and the looming feeling of dread that had started in Jack several minutes before cried out to him louder than before.

Clamping his eyes tightly closed, Jack exhaled, feeling the tension wash over him as steadily as the rain, consuming him. It was then that the sound came again, but this time with force. Jack could make out at least three forms in the distance. It was then that he was struck with a fear like he had never known, piercing him deeply. This was it. It was now or never.

He slowly twisted his body around so that he was facing the direction in which the dark figures were spread, not knowing what to expect. His hands shook violently as he gripped the gun, unsure of where to aim. He had never been so lost, not knowing what to do in all his life. All he could think was that he had to do whatever was needed for Kate. These people, they had her and he couldn't let them keep her. She didn't belong to them.

Before Jack had time to react or even contemplate what was happening, a shot rang out overhead. A yelp met his ears, and Jack realized after a fraction of a second that it was his own voice. He bolted, gun in hand, moving to get away. The bullet had gone far overhead, no where near hitting him.

Several more shots were fired in rapid succession, each falling closer to their target. Jack's heart was racing, his pulse burning through his veins with a vengeance. Panting as he fought for breath, Jack moved his shaking hands to aim the gun behind him, firing blindly into the dark.

There were shouts and for the first time Jack heard his attackers. In all the commotion, Jack couldn't be sure how many there were, only that he was without a doubt outnumbered. He cursed as another bullet whizzed past him, the wind of it burning against his ear. That had been _too_ close. Stumbling through the dark, Jack threw himself behind a thick based tree and prepared to return fire.

He fired a single shot, this time able to aim slightly better at the distant dark shapes. He clearly saw one of them dodge out of the way, having been narrowly missed by Jack's shot. There were more shouts, and the sound of a woman shrieking in pain and fear. Jack's heart stopped. A _woman_? These faceless enemies, he had pictured them as ruthless men. Not women. He felt the tiniest fleck of hesitance, but knew he couldn't relent as they moved closer to him.

Knowing he would be cornered if he stayed as he was, Jack hurriedly pulled himself to his feet and rushing from behind the tree. Another shot was fired and Jack nearly tripped at the sound of a ricochet clanged from a nearby tree. Pulling himself together, Jack ran towards the gunfire with all his might, a shout of defiance breaking against the thick night air as he ran.

A final gunshot rang clear in Jack's ears and for a split second he was unsure if it was his own or that of his attacker. A searing pain tore through him and Jack felt the world around him began to violently spin, the earth moving from beneath him. He cried out in pain as a falling sensation was all around him. Falling, falling until he hit the ground with a sickening thud.

There was a thick wetness all around him, pooling over his lower body and completely engulfing his legs. His eye lids felt heavy and he blinked lazily, fighting to keep them from drifting permanently shut.

With a rush of footsteps coming from what seemed to be above him, Jack realized that they were coming. He was unable to rationalize the pain that was searing through his body, spreading like wildfire as it crisscrossed through each of his limbs simultaneously. It was like a burning sensation, starting from the top of his head and spreading out down to the tips of his boot clad toes. He groaned in pain, his head spinning.

"He's over here!" came a thickly accented shout. It was the voice of a man. Jack titled his head just enough to see the dark outline of a very large man towering over him. After a few moments, Jack was able to identify the man's accent as African, but with his head spinning uncontrollably as it was, he couldn't be sure.

There was a scuffling of feet and soon Jack could make out at least three or four other forms around him. Again he groaned, knowing that in his condition he didn't stand a chance.

"I can't see him…" came a new voice, also that of a man. It was much softer than the first and Jack watched as the form it belonged to pushed his way through the others.

"Its too dark!" Another voice muttered, one that was strikingly familiar, but Jack was unable to place it, "Someone pull out a light!" the voice barked the order, and Jack could hear shuffling as one of the other forms hurriedly obeyed.

Jack's eyes burned as a light suddenly blinded his vision, illuminating the place where he had fallen. He blinked rapidly, painfully shifting his body in panic. He could feel strong, rough hands harshly gripping his shoulders, forcing him back to the ground and keeping him still.

His vision was still hazy when a gasp of surprise was emitted from one of the forms hovering over him. Jack placed it with the woman who had commanded one of the others to pull out a light.

"_Jack_?" the voice muttered gruffly in obvious shock. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, his heart racing in surprise.

As Jack's vision cleared, the first face he could make out was that of the woman who had voiced his name. He saw first her jet black hair that hung loosely around her face, and the blackness of a tank top before the haziness cleared enough for him to see the deep brown of her eyes and for the most stunning realization to take place in his mind.

"_Ana_!" he breathed in shock, eyes widening as the other forms hovering over him became clear.

* * *

**A/N: ** Well, what did you guys think? Probably not what you were expecting, I know. I hope you liked it! Reviews are always a great way for me to alter any future ideas I've got, based on your response to what I did w/ this chapter, so please don't forget to do that. Oh, and now that finals will be over in a matter of days, summer will be here and I'll have all the time in the world (sort of) to finish up this story, so there should be a lot of updates very soon. I've also got plans for a sequel that I hope to finish over the summer…Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to review!


	8. Collision

**A/N: **Well, for once I don't have to start off a chapter by apologizing for a lack of updates. I'd say I got this one out pretty quick, considering how long it usually takes me. I guess that's just the benefits of summer vacation.

A quick note to all of you who've been asking when Kate and Jack will be reunited. Let me just say that it's _very_ soon. In fact, at the moment, we're looking at within two chapters. Just a little spoiler to keep you guys reading!

I also think this is a good time for me to just say that pretty much everything in this story so far and everything that is to come was formulated in my mind early on during season 2. I'm saying this because I've noticed a lot of similarities in the last few episodes of this season that will show up later. Believe me, you'll see what I mean. Yes, there's also a lot of things like dialogue and episode titles that I do take purposefully from the show, just to kind of point out where I'm supposed to be at certain points. Its also because this fic does parallel some of the episodes of season 2, particularly in the first half. So yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not wrapping this story around all the recent events of the show, it just happened to pan out that way.

Anyways, I hope you guys keep reading and enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it anymore than the last time I posted…

* * *

**  
All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 7: Collision**

**

* * *

Previously:**

"_Jack_?" the voice muttered gruffly in obvious shock. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, his heart racing in surprise.

As Jack's vision cleared, the first face he could make out was that of the woman who had voiced his name. He saw first her jet black hair that hung loosely around her face, and the blackness of a tank top before the haziness cleared enough for him to see the deep brown of her eyes and for the most stunning realization to take place in his mind.

"_Ana_!" he breathed in shock, eyes widening as the other forms hovering over him became clear.

* * *

Immediately Jack fought against the pain to lift himself up. Strong hands met his struggle within seconds, forcefully pinning him back down to the moist jungle floor. Jack heard a light, barely audible whimper emit from his lips against his will, face soaked with sweat. 

"You must not get up," a strong voice urged, his hands not moving from Jack's chest, "It is possible that you have a concussion…"

The man didn't raise his voice. He didn't have to. His every word was spoke with a calm forcefulness that is unlike anything Jack could place. It was peaceful, yet stirringly powerful at the same time.

Jack blinked furiously, breathing hard. The light was so sudden and so bright. His eyes could hardly adjust, so that all he saw of the man that held him firmly to the ground was a dark silhouette. Jack flinched suddenly as he felt smaller hands run hastily over his chest, lingering here and there as though searching for something. He groaned at the pain of it, every inch of him feeling as though it was ablaze with fire.

"There's no bullet wound," Ana Lucia confirmed with some satisfaction after checking Jack over.

"Could've fooled me…" Jack muttered in a broken whisper, voice shaking as he continued to pant. His lips twisted into a stressed smile as he shook his head lightly, a stinging pain present as he did.

"Be still," the man that held him commanded, voice booming with authority.

"I'm fine…" Jack began, voice cracking from the pain and his lack of air, "There's no concussion…"

Again Jack attempted to sit up, but again he was forced painfully back down to the dirt.

"You cannot know that…" the man went on, just as forcefully as before.

"Let him be, Eko," Ana Lucia spoke up, looking down at Jack within concern harboring in her deep hazel eyes, "He's a doctor."

There was an instant of recognition in Eko's eyes before he pulled his hands away from Jack, inching back to give him space to move as he pleased.

Clenching his teeth, Jack lifted himself up into a sitting position, a pain like he had never known soaring through every inch of his body. It felt almost as if his bones were splintering off within him. Gasping, Jack clamped his eyes tightly shut and took a moment to regain control.

When he opened his eyes, Jack felt for a moment as if the world was spinning, his vision coming to him in a haze. After several seconds, his sight cleared and he could see those who stood around him. He saw for the first time the man who had tried to hold him down. He was a tall, stalky and well built man with dark skin. Jack knew right away that this had been the first voice he had heard after he fell. It had been the one that called out to the others.

Beside Eko and hovering over him was the young Latino woman he had recognized. Ana Lucia. If there was ever a face that he never thought he would see again, it was hers. The shock of seeing her sitting before him now was almost bewildering to Jack. It was foreign. How was she alive?

It was then that Jack began to notice the other forms standing around him. A young blonde woman who was visibly shaken by what had happened. Beside her stood an older man who was lightly rubbing her shoulders and attempting to calm her down. His eyes were as soft as his demeanor, the pale gray color of them meeting Jack's eyes with concern.

Looking around him, Jack realized that he was laying at the bottom of a ravine, the wetness around him coming from the nearly nonexistent stream at the ravine's base. Pain shot through his body as he began to pull himself shakily to his feet, praying that he hadn't hurt himself too badly. Jack was certain that he had nothing like a concussion, but it was still possible that he had come out of the fall with a broken bone.

Jack flinched as he stood, hardly able to hide the grimace on his face from the pain of standing. He clasped his eyes shut briefly, feeling relief wash over him when he felt the stinging pain that had spread through the length of his body slowly begin to subside.

His could feel the eyes of the rest of the people around him. They were watching him, as if in wonder. Perhaps they were considering what had nearly happened, the fact that Jack had almost been shot, even killed. Now that he thought about it, Jack realized that this was the first time such a thought had crossed his mind. It had indeed been close. Too close.

There was a shuffling sound coming from the top of the ravine, just beyond Jack's sight. He jerked his head suddenly to the direction it had come and noticed from the corner of his eyes that Ana Lucia and Eko were equally alert.

The sound came again, this time much closer. Jack reached instinctively for his gun, but found that it was missing. He cursed inwardly, realizing that he must have lost it in the fall. He knew that now it would be nearly impossible to find it in the dark and that he would have to come looking for it again in the light. It was much too valuable to lose. And just now, Jack was all the more aware of its loss.

Jack stole a glance towards Ana and found that she had her gun drawn and pointed expertly in front of her. Her hands were visibly shaking, and there was a fury in her eyes that momentarily caused Jack to catch his breath. Hate was written over every inch of her face, radiating from her eyes. Jack knew then that Ana Lucia was familiar with the Others.

After a few moments of strained silence, two forms could be seen along the top of the ravine. Jack had never felt more unshielded in his life as he stood before these two unidentifiable figures without any weapon or anything to protect himself with.

"Ana!" the larger of the two figures yelled. Jack watched as the man walked along the top of the ravine, movements tentative, as though afraid. The other figure walked beside him, and Jack couldn't help but detect something painfully familiar in the man's voice.

Taking a quick glance over to Ana, Jack watched as she emitted an obvious sigh of relief, the relaxing the muscles in her arms and shoulders as she slowly lowered her gun, though she left her finger firmly against the trigger.

"We're down here!" she called up to the two figures, body still tense as she watched them clumsily make their way down the steep hill.

Another voice accompanied that of the first figure as they made their way down to the group. This second voice, also obviously that of a man, sounded at first to be nothing more than gibberish, but Jack soon recognized it to be Korean. Jack thought immediately of Jin, but immediately dismissed it. It was impossible. Jin was on the raft with Michael and Sawyer. But then they had found Walt back here on the island.

"What happened to you guys?" the first voice called as the two men made their way down the hill, "Did you find any of them?" His voice held an almost desperate tone.

It was then, as the two men reached the bottom of the ravine and stepped into the dim rays of moonlight and the stream of light provided by the flashlight that Jack realized who they were. If Jack had been shocked at the sight of Ana Lucia, then if it was even possible he was more surprised at seeing Michael and Jin approaching.

"What the…" Michael breathed, his eyes wide in shock, "Jack…?" Beside Michael, Jin was muttering something in Korean, looking equally shocked at Jack's presence.

"Michael…Jin…" Jack choked out, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.

"What're you doing out here, Jack?" Michael questioned, walking hastily forward to clap Jack on the back, eyes wide. There was an undeniable tone of relief to Michael's voice, but there was something else there as well. It was like a nervous hesitation. Something was wrong.

"Later…" Jack responded under his breath so that only Michael could hear as he took a step back. He turned back to look at the others who were watching them in bewilderment.

"You guys just left the cowboy?" Ana Lucia asked in what sounded like an amused disbelief. She began to approach where they stood as she spoke. There was a bitter smirk written clearly in her features as she reached a nervous hand up to slick a thick strand of hair from her face.

"We left him just at the top of the hill," Michael explained, pointing with a shaky hand. Jack shot Michael a look of confusion.

"Cowboy?" he asked in confusion, voice hoarse.

"She means Sawyer," Michael responded, face grim, "He was shot…"

Jack's expression immediately turned to that of concern, "He's not…?" Jack's voice shook ever so slightly as he voiced the question, hardly able to really wrap his mind around the idea that Sawyer might be dead.

"No…" Michael said immediately, voice still shaking from nerves, "No…he's alive, but he's in bad shape. He needs a doctor, man. We were bringing him back to you."

"Take me to him," Jack said hurriedly, mind jumping to all the possibilities that might lay ahead. Without another look behind him at Ana and the others, Jack followed Michael and Jin back up the hill. Every step he took brought a shooting pain up from the tips of his toes to lace through his rib cage and explode across his chest and back. Jack groaned at the pain of it.

"You okay, man?" Michael asked as he hastily looked Jack over, eyes puzzled. He came to a quick stop.

"Yeah…" Jack replied quickly, looking passed Michael rather than directly at him, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just take me to him." His voice was ragged, his breaths coming in short rasps as each intake of air brought a stinging sensation to Jack's chest.

They continued on at a steady pace until they reached the top of the hill, stopping as they reached a still form lying on the ground. Looking closely, Jack saw that the form was Sawyer, lying unconscious atop a makeshift stretcher.

Jack dropped to his knees beside Sawyer and immediately placed two fingers across his temple, feeling for a pulse. There was a faint trace of a heartbeat, but it was nowhere near where it should be. Dipping his head down closer to Sawyer's still form, Jack listened for breathing, and found that Sawyer was taking in tiny breaths of air, though he seemed to be fighting to do so.

"How is he?" Michael asked as he hovered over Jack, watching intently as Sawyer was examined.

"It's not good…" Jack said grimly, voice occupied as he continued to check Sawyer over, mentally running through all the possible complications. A gunshot wound had been the very thing that he had hoped to never encounter on the island, knowing how slim the chances of survival would be for the victim. They just didn't have the right supplies to handle it.

"You think he'll make it?" Michael continued to question Jack, voice shaking slightly.

"I don't know…" Jack answered as best he could, having no real idea where his opinion stood on Sawyer's chances. Jack stood up suddenly, stepping several paces back from Sawyer's caught, "We need to get him back to the caves. There's nothing I can do for him out here."

Michael simply nodded, swallowing hard. He motioned to Jin and the two men stepped forward to take either side of the makeshift stretcher in hand. They stooped down, lifting it up to carry it away.

"Jack!" Ana Lucia called from the base of the ravine as she and the others began making their way up, "How far to your camp?"

"Not too far, but we have to hurry," Jack said, nodding towards Sawyer's unconscious form, "I don't know how much longer he can make it out here…"

"That bad?" she questioned, casting an almost compassionate gaze at Sawyer before hastily shifting it back to an icy stare.

Jack simply nodded and motioned for Michael and Jin to take the lead. He moved on with them, walking beside the stretcher they carried between them. Ana was soon to follow, falling into step alongside Jack. Eko and the other two, a man and a woman, that Jack hadn't caught the names of brought up the rear.

* * *

It was as the first rays of light appeared along the cliffs beyond the caves, sliding over the vast forest of trees that surrounded the area that Jack returned to the caves with the newfound survivors. It took only moments for the ever growing rays of light to wash over the caves, completely illuminating the area with the morning's light.

"Sayid!" Jack called out to the seemingly empty caves, knowing that he at least would still be awake and intent on watching over the others.

Jack had been right, for immediately Sayid appeared at the entrance of one of the caves, hands gripped tightly to the handle of one of the nine millimeters, his fingers pressed securely to the trigger. Sayid's eyes were wide with what first came as shock, but soon shifted into confusion.

"What is this?" Sayid voiced in confusion as he immediately rushed over to where Jack was leading Michael and Jin with the stretcher into the caves, "Michael!" Sayid yelled in bewilderment, hardly believing what he was seeing, "Jin!"

"Sayid, I need you to get me some water…get me a lot of it!" Jack said firmly, motioning his hands towards the stretcher. Sayid opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it again, looking absolutely puzzled.

"But…who-?" Sayid began, looking confusedly at the new arrivals, staring suspiciously at those he didn't recognize. He locked eyes briefly with Ana Lucia, gazing into her deep brown orbs with what could only be distress.

"Now!" Jack shouted, eyes commanding Sayid to just leave it for now. He quickly turned his attention back to Michael and Jin, moving hurriedly to usher them into the cave where he kept all of the medical supplies.

"Jack!" Jack cringed as he heard Charlie shouting his name. The younger man came bolting into the cave after Jack, a look of panic written clearly in his features, "What is all this! What the bloody hell is going on?"

"Not now, Charlie!" Jack brushed off the other man's questions, unable to answer them just now. His attention did now waver from Sawyer's unconscious form.

"But-" Charlie persisted, eyes wide in amazement at Jack's reluctance to answer.

"I said not now!" Jack barked, wasting only a fraction of a second to turn and flash a look of warning at Charlie. The man immediately backed down, taking several steps back to give Jack space.

After a moment of silence, Charlie once again gained the courage to speak up, "Look…Jack…" he ventured carefully, though Jack made no sign of having heard him, "Is there anything I can do?"

"No, Charlie…there isn't…" Jack muttered as he continued to examine Sawyer, not bothering to tear his eyes away from what he was doing.

"We need to move him onto the cot," Jack said to Michael, who seemed to be watching everything that was happening as though he was in a daze. He immediately snapped back into reality at the sound of Jack calling his name, and stooped down to help Jack lift Sawyer gently onto the cot.

Just as they got Sawyer settled, Sayid came running through the cave entrance with an armful of freshly filled water bottles, "I have the water!" he called to Jack, "Where would you like it?"

"Right here," Jack motioned hastily to the spot on the floor beside him. Jack once again reaching down to brush his fingers over Sawyer's forehead, slicking away the man's sweat soaked hair that stuck there, "He's burning up. We're going to need to use this water to cool him down…"

Reaching down, Jack grabbed one of the water bottles Sayid had brought him and lifted it into the light. He hastily unscrewed the top and began pouring it steadily over Sawyer's face and upper body. His heart raced when he noted that Sawyer had no reaction to the water being poured on him. That meant that he was in the furthest stages of infection, possibly worse if he wasn't treated soon.

When the bottle was emptied, Jack immediately moved his fingers to Sawyer's plaid cotton shirt. He quickly fumbled with the buttons, pulling it off of him none too gently. Michael watched him in confusion for a moment before assisting him in pulling the shirt away from Sawyer's sweat drenched body.

Jack tossed a bottle of water over to Michael, "Pour that over his chest," Jack instructed as he unscrewed the cap of another bottle to do the same. As the water washed over Sawyer's chest and face, drizzling down his arms, he began to show more signs of life. Jack noted that his breaths became more noticeable and defined. After several minutes, he began to groan, low and quiet at first, but soon became full and desperate.

"What's wrong with him, man?" Michael asked, eyes wide with worry at Sawyer's groans.

"It's a delayed reaction to the water," Jack responded, trying to be unmoved by Sawyer groaning in pain. Soon the man began to shift his body uncomfortable, flinching as they continued to water him down.

"Charlie!" Jack called without looking behind him to even see if the man was still there. He sighed from a small relief when he heard Charlie respond.

"Yeah!" Charlie voiced hurriedly, rushing to Jack's side, "Yeah, what can I do?"

"I need you to go through the medical stash," Jack turned around briefly to meet Charlie's eyes, as though trying to relay the importance of what he was asking him to do, "There should be a bottle of Ofloxacin…"

"Ofloxacin…" Charlie echoed, looking absolutely fearful as he continued to listen to Jack's instructions.

"Ofloxacin…little white pills," Jack repeated, making sure that Charlie understood completely, "Bring the alcohol and some gauze patches."

As soon as Jack had finished relaying the instructions to Charlie, he turned his full attention back to Sawyer. He was dimly aware that a small crowd had begun to form just outside the cave, each of the survivors wanting to know what all the commotion could be about this time. He knew that everyone was on edge after the events of the previous night.

"Jack!" Charlie came running back into the cave, "Here…I found what you asked for…"

"Just set it there," Jack said with a false calm, pointing to an empty space to his right.

His attention was pulled immediately back to Sawyer as the man let out a particularly loud cry of pain, groaning and clutching at his shoulder. Sawyer's body began to convulse in pain, his face contorted from the agony of it as he continued to groan and whimper. His body began to shake uncontrollably all over, his breaths coming in harsh gasps as he fought for air.

"What's going on, man!" Michael asked in panic, looking to Jack for some kind of answer and growing even more worried when he got none, "Why's he shaking!"

Jack sighed, eyes fluttering wide with fear as he watched Sawyer's body fall into a panic, "He's septic," Jack said grimly, knowing how much worse this set Sawyer's chances, "The infection's gotten into the bloodstream…"

"What the hell does that mean!" Michael asked in confusion, seeing only that Sawyer was shaking uncontrollably and drifting into some kind of fit.

"It means that if the antibiotics don't bring his fever down, he'll go into shock," Jack replied, reaching for the bottle of medicine that Charlie had brought him. Unscrewing the cap, Jack poured two of the capsules into his palm, "Here, hold him up," Jack instructed to Michael, who quickly obliged.

Michael gently eased his hands up under Sawyer's bare back and lifted him up by his shoulders as carefully as he could. With his spare hand, he propped up the pillows from the cot behind Sawyer's back, propping him firmly up as Jack had asked.

Reaching out a hand, Jack lightly tipped back Sawyer's head and popped the pills into his mouth, doing his best to hold the man down as he continued to shake. If he was going to swallow the pills, then he had to be stable.

"Can you hand me the water?" Jack asked as Michael immediately jumped to grab a bottle of water. He handed it to Jack in a hurry, who hastily poured it down Sawyer's throat to help the pills go down.

Sawyer began coughing violently, all the while continuing to shake and convulse. Acting quickly, Jack pressed a hand firmly against the base of Sawyer's throat, hoping that he would just take the pills, "Swallow it…come on, swallow it…" Jack whispered gently, hoping that it would work.

After several moments more of fighting against Jack's hold and continuing to cough up the water and pills, Sawyer finally relented and swallowed the pills, his body falling limply back onto the cushions. His face was ghostly pale, his thin wisps of blonde hair sticking to his forehead from the sweat. His body was drenched in sweat, completely limp from the exhaustion of fighting off the medication.

Sighing in relief, Jack let himself fall back away from Sawyer, sinking to lay back on the floor. His eyes drifted closed for several moments, though he was acutely aware that both Charlie and Michael were watching him intently, wondering what came next.

"What now?" Michael asked, just as Jack had known he would. The man's voice was tentative, as if wondering what Sawyer's sudden stillness could mean.

"We wait…" Jack voiced tiredly, feeling his body beginning to give into the exhaustion he felt. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since Kate had been taken nearly a week and a half earlier, nor had he bothered to properly feed himself. The pain from his recent fall was still coursing through his body, alighting each and every muscle. Jack didn't know how much more of this fast pace of events he could take.

Both Michael and Charlie were silent in response, neither really knowing what to make of Jack's words. They didn't seem entirely negative, though they were anything but positive. The truth was, they really would just have to wait and see what happened, watch Sawyer either improve or decline in health, before they would know anything for certain.

As Jack lounged against the cot where Sawyer lay, his mind began to drift to a peculiar discovery he had made while examining Sawyer's wound. He glanced over at Michael, deciding that perhaps he could help him, "There was no exit wound…" Jack muttered plainly, as though lost in thought.

Michael jerked his head up, turning to look puzzled at Jack, "What?"

"The wound," Jack explained, nodding his head toward Sawyer's still form, "There was no bullet in his shoulder, but no exit wound. Any idea what might have happened to the bullet?"

Michael's eyes registered his understanding as he nodded his head, suddenly looking sick at the realization of what Jack was asking, "He pulled it out…" Michael answered grimly, looking to gauge Jack's reaction, "When we were on the raft, he pulled it out with his bare hands…"

Jack's eyes grew wide in amazement, wondering how Sawyer had managed to do something so painful without any anesthetic. It was definitely something he could respect the man for, knowing how terrible it must have been.

"How did he get shot?" Jack continued curiously, eyes falling away from Michael to land on the cave wall, as though distracting himself in the shadows.

A look of sheer pain crossed over Michael's features, settling deep within his eyes. For a moment he looked hesitant, but then he spoke up in a broken tone, "We were on the raft…" he began to explain, eyes falling immediately to the floor, "A boat came up on the radar Sayid set up for us. We sent up the flare, and they came and found us. It was them…"

"The others?" Jack questioned tentatively, as though completely shocked at what he was hearing. These people had a boat? That sent a torrent of unpleasant thoughts to mind.

"Yeah…them…" Michael nodded his head before continuing, "They took him right out of my arms, Jack. They took my boy…Sawyer tried to stop them, but he got shot. And now they've got my son…"

Jack's eyes were suddenly wide as he looked at Michael in amazement, a new realization washing over him, "Wait, Michael…" Jack stuttered, hardly able to wrap his mind around what was happening, "You don't…you don't know…"

He ran a nervous hand through his hair, letting his fingers drift lightly over his face as he tried to find the right words, the best way to tell Michael what the father didn't know about his son. Michael sat silently before Jack, obviously struggling not to speak, as though waiting to hear whatever it was Jack had to say.

"He's here…" Jack said as calmly as possible, voice shaking slightly, "None of us knew how, but he's here…"

Michael didn't say a word as a look of complete and utter shock washed over his face, claiming his every feature. His eyes grew wide in amazement, disbelief, Jack didn't know what. Too many emotions crossed over the other man's face, shining brightly from his dark eyes. Jack hardly knew what to say or do before Michael had jumped up from the ground to his feet, bolting out of the cave.

Unsure of what to do, Jack struggled to pull himself up. He briefly reached out a hand to grip the cave wall, steadying himself slowly as he ran after Michael. Just as he exited the cave, he saw the man right away. He was standing towards the center of the caves, right beside the waterfall where they filled the water bottles everyday. He had stopped, dead in the center, unmoving.

Jack followed Michael's line of sight and knew immediately what the man was looking at. There, just outside on of the caves, Walt sat next to sun on a rock, his knees pulled up protectively to his chest. Beside him lay Vincent, the boy's fingers lightly traveling over the dog's head, scratching behind his ears.

It was as though Jack could feel the tension and the joy all loomed into one as Michael let out a breath of air, his heart practically stopping at the sight of his son. Michael's lips twisted into the most relieved smile Jack had ever seen, his eyes dancing at seeing Walt.

"Walt!" Michael called out, his voice shaking from the pure joy that Jack knew he felt.

Walt's head snapped up at the sound of his name, and as his eyes landed on Michael, Jack saw a look that mirrored that of the boy's father. Disbelief, amazement and something so surreal that Jack could hardly describe it.

"Dad!" Walt's yell came even as he was scrambling to get up from where he sat, his legs seeming to protest as he rushed over to his father. Michael didn't hesitate for more than a fraction of a moment as he met the boy half way.

Jack watched as Walt leapt at Michael, all the while the man throwing his arms around the boy, drawing him closely to his chest. Jack could see tears glistening in Michael's eyes as a few stubborn drops rolled down his cheeks as he let his hands run over Walt's face and shoulders, feeling him and knowing that he was real. That _this_ was real and he was actually there. Alive.

Father and son continued to embrace, as though hardly able to believe that what they were experiencing was real. The guilt that each of them had felt over the past week and a half at wondering what had become of the other, and if they could have done anything to stop what had happened slowly washed away in these moments when they felt that the other was okay.

Michael whimpered as he continued to grip Walt tightly, the tears now rolling steadily from his eyes. He pulled back for a moment, just to look into his son's face, to see his eyes and to make everything more real, "You okay?" he asked, voice shaking and coming out in a harsh whisper.

"Yeah," Walt responded, his face too wet with tears.

"Its going to be okay now…" Michael seemed to be assuring himself as much as he was trying to reassure his son, "I've got you back and we're going to be okay…"

Jack was caught up in the moment, as if in a daze watching Michael and Walt that he hardly noticed any of the others around him who were also watching. It wasn't until he felt a hand brush across his shoulder, lightly squeezing his arm that he was pulled out of his reverie.

Glancing to his side, Jack saw that the hand that rested on his arm belonged to Ana Lucia. She stood beside him, watching the reunion between Michael and Walt with interest. Jack noticed that there was something else behind the deep cinnamon of her eyes. A look of longing or desperation perhaps, maybe even a need. He couldn't quite place it, though somehow it looked vaguely familiar.

"The boy's lucky…" Ana commented after a moment, turning to find that Jack's eyes were already on her. Her lips twisted into a small smile, meeting his gaze, "Not one of the ones they took from us ever came back…"

"How many did you lose?" Jack questioned, eyeing her with interest. Until this very moment, he was unsure just how much this woman and those that had been with her even knew about the Others.

"Too many," she muttered gruffly, flashing him a grim smile while she shook her head. In that moment, she released her grip on his arm and allowed it to fall back to her side, "At first it seemed like they took off with whoever they could get their hands on, but they had an agenda…"

"Agenda?" Jack questioned, hardly sure what she could mean by that.

"Yeah…" Ana Lucia said bitterly, breaking her gaze away from Jack's hard stare for just a moment before turning back to him to continue, "They came into our camp one night and I caught one of them. Killed him," she explained, a harsh tone of bleak satisfaction, "Turns out he had a list. A list with names on it. The names of specific people in our camp that they wanted…"

Jack felt his breath catch in his throat, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. Could the Others have been planning all of this. Did they specifically want Kate? But why? What could they possibly want from her.

"But…why?" Jack asked after a moment, clearly puzzled as a look of pain flashed through his eyes, "Why Kate? Why did they want her?"

"Why did they want the kids?" Ana responded with a question of her own, raising an eyebrow, "There's no rhyme and no reason for who they take, Jack. They just do it."

"Then why have the list?" Jack asked, voice shaking slightly. He wasn't sure if it scared him more that they had Kate for a reason or that it might have been an irrational act.

"Could be a scare tactic to get us thinking…" Ana suggested, though it was clear that she didn't have any better guess than Jack did.

Jack sighed, covering his face with his hands as he allowed a look of completely overwhelmed stress take control of his features. He didn't know what to do, only that he had to do something. He had to go back after Kate, but how did he intend to get her back? That wasn't something that had even crossed his mind when he had left the caves the night before. He hadn't though about it even for a second. Now though, with the afternoon light shining down in his eyes, the humidity of the jungle bringing moisture to his skin, the more rational side of Jack began to take the lead.

"So Jack…" Ana attempted to break the silence, a clear note of curiosity present in her voice, "You never did say why you were out so far last night…"

Jack looked back at Ana with what he wanted to be a blank expression, but in reality, his eyes flashed with a sudden pain. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to discuss Kate with her.

"Does it matter?" he questioned her feebly, eyes darting away as he blinked furiously to avoid her stare.

"I think it does," Ana replied, taking a step closer to Jack and forcing him to look at her. When he met her eyes, he saw that she held a look of firm understanding in her dark orbs. It was as if she knew, though Jack was sure that was impossible.

Sighing when Jack did nothing more than fall into her gaze in silence, Ana spoke up after several moments, "Who'd they take from you, Jack?"

His discomfort at her question was obvious, but she continued to hold him relentlessly under her gaze. When he finally spoke up, his voice broke into a harsh whisper with emotion, "Her name was Kate…"Jack muttered weakly, tearing his eyes away from Ana as he stared intently at the ground, "No…" he continued after a moment, this time his voice much more stable as he gained a hold over himself, " Her name _is_ Kate. She's alive…I know she is…"

Ana gazed at Jack with what was probably the closest thing to sympathy that she could muster. It was much the same as the way she had looked at him the day of the crash in the airport bar when he had spoken of his father. Like she understood. Like she had been there too. But with it came a bitter resentment, as though she was still caught up in a bitter reverie of her own.

As if sensing Jack's uneasiness at the topic, Ana cleared her throat and looked away, giving him a moment to compose himself. Looking back his way, she smiled almost sullenly at him, an awkward look of discomfort in her own eyes.

"So…" She began uneasily, voice gruff, "How's the cowboy?"

"Stable," Jack answered after a moment, looking thoughtful as he considered Sawyer's condition, "For now.." he added, almost as an after thought.

Ana nodded and Jack couldn't tell how she might feel about it. He wasn't even sure if she had ever spoken a word to Sawyer seeing as the man had been unconscious when Jack had stumbled upon the group.

"He gonna make it?" she continued after a moment, nervously sweeping her stringy black hair from her face.

"I don't know," Jack responded honestly, voicing his uncertainty. At this point, Sawyer could make a complete recovery. At the same time, he could also make a rapid decline, even die from the wound.

"He better make it…" her voice was bitter, as though holding utmost resentment, "We cut through the jungle to save time to get him back here and we lost a girl. Her life better be worth something."

"I'm doing what I can…" Jack spoke up almost defensively, his fists clenching subconsciously at his sides.

"Never said you weren't," Ana muttered darkly, as though the fact that she had just insulted him didn't matter at all, "I'm just saying we've lost too many…"

"So have we…" Jack replied, now looking at her in a sort of defiance, the peace they had had only moments before shattering bit by bit as she continued to speak.

"Not like us," she all but growled, eyeing him with a bitter glare against her dark orbs, "When we crashed, there were nearly as many of us as there are of you. You're looking at all that's left." Ana motioned around the caves to where the other newly found survivors stood, the ones who had been with Ana.

There was a long stretch of silence before Ana spoke up again, the steely tone her voice had possessed before still present, "That's the funny thing about you people…" She began, shaking her head as she flashed a dour grin, "You're just not scared enough."

"Not scared enough?" Jack questioned, staring in disbelief at Ana. His voice held a rising tone, a newfound anger beginning to burn within. Shaking his head and let out a breath in attempt to control his emotion, Jack awaited her response.

"Everyone around here actually thinks they're safe…" She responded as though the obvious anger in his voice was meaningless to her. She chuckled gruffly, her eyes flashing with the same bitter pain that Jack had witnessed before.

"Trust me Ana," Jack spoke heatedly, eyes bearing into her own with a burning gaze, "No one thinks we're safe…"

"Oh really?" Ana questioned in mock defiance, her features actually displaying some amusement, "So how was she taken, Jack? Where was Kate when they snatched her?"

Jack felt his heart stop as he gazed on at Ana, eyes burning into her as his temper flared. He clamed his eyes tightly closed, hardly able to restrain himself from shouting, from lashing out at this woman for talking like it was nothing. For acting like it didn't matter that Kate was gone. It took Jack several moments after counting to five to cool down. In those moments, he managed to calm himself enough to give her an answer.

"She was in the jungle, on the way to find Locke," Jack explained, unable to force himself to look her in the eye. He could feel her gaze hot upon him, as though daring him to contest her.

"Bingo," Without even looking at her, Jack could feel the sneer in her voice, see the satisfied smile that was splayed across her twisted features, "She was in the jungle. Even after everything you say you guys have been through, she was walking alone through the jungle."

"Tell me, Jack, did it ever cross your mind that you guys just waltz around here in the jungle like you're on a trip to the mini mart to buy milk? Like its no big deal, like these bastards you hear whispering in the trees can't get you," Her voice was almost mocking. It was defiant and laced with bitterness and it made Jack want to yell, to tell her that she was wrong. But in the back of his mind, Jack knew that she wasn't wrong. She was absolutely right, " Well let me tell you something, Jack. They took her. And do you know why they took her? Because every last one of you thinks you're safe. You just aren't scared enough, Jack."

**

* * *

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**A/N:** So, what'd you guys think? Don't forget to leave a review because I really do value your opinion. I should have another chapter up fairly soon now that I'm on summer break. Oh, and in answer to some other questions I've been getting, I'm going to be somewhat vague about what the deal is with the Others for at least the first half of this fic. There's definitely going to be some key information given in the last half, and then I'm going to reveal everything in the sequal. And no, the Others in this fic will (to the best of my knowledge) not follow the path the show takes.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please don't forget to review! I love hearing from you guys!


	9. The Wall

**A/N:** Ok, so this chapter took much longer to write than I expected. Its just such an important chapter, and a very full one, that I just couldn't rush it. And besides, now Jack will get to Kate that much quicker, so I know most of you will be excited about that. Anyway, sorry for the delay and I hope you guys enjoy it! 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything more than I did the last time I posted…

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**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 8: The Wall**

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The sun had just began to set over the caves, the harsh light slowly withdrawing over the large expanse of trees as it disappeared over the distant cliffs. There was a definite tension in the already thick air as Jack sat reclining against the wall of his cave, deep in thought. He had one arm slung over his pack, while the other rested just alongside the cot where Sawyer lay still unconscious.

An entire day had passed since Jack had returned to the caves with a wounded Sawyer and the newfound survivors from the tail section of the plane, but already Jack felt as though it had been too long. The task at hand had waited long enough, and he feared that if he let things go on for too long, then it would be too late. He had to go back for Kate. There was no question there.

Glancing over at Sawyer, Jack was mesmerized as he watched the almost still rise and fall of the man's chest. The life was little, but it was there. Jack had been hopeful that Sawyer would have woken up some time during the night after he had been brought back to the caves. Now though, with Sawyer still unconscious, Jack was becoming less and less sure that anything could be done for him. Jack knew that if Sawyer didn't come to within the next day, then it would be as good as hopeless for him.

With a sigh, Jack turned away form Sawyer and shifted his body over to the refreshments cart that he had been using as a makeshift medicine cabinet. He began running his fingers thoughtfully over the shelves, lightly tapping the lids of the different bottles, as though taking a mental count. He paused over certain bottles, and when he found one that pleased him, he lifted it from the shelf and set it out beside Sawyer's cot.

If he was going to leave with Sawyer in this state, he wanted to be certain that Sun would have every chance of keeping the man stable. He didn't know how much Sun knew about prescription drugs, or if she would know out of all the varieties present which to use on Sawyer under different circumstances. He intended to leave her as organized as possible. Part of Jack felt committed to stay, as though he owed it to Sawyer, but Jack knew that the situation with Kate couldn't wait any longer. _He_ couldn't wait any longer. He couldn't leave her out there with those people anymore. She needed him, and as much as he knew he was doing Sawyer a wrong, he also insisted to himself that he had done all that he could do for the man.

Jack nearly jumped as Sawyer emitted an agonizing groan. Hastily tossing aside the medicine bottle he had been examining, Jack all but scrambled across the cave floor to get to the cot. Upon reaching the bedside, Jack looked at Sawyer expectantly, silently praying for the man to wake up. If Sawyer woke up now, then Jack could leave the camp to find Kate with a clean conscience.

"Sawyer?" Jack asked, lightly tapping the side of Sawyer's face. There was no change in him. He still lay like a stone, eyes clamped tightly closed as if in pain, his shaggy wisps of blonde hair sticking to his forehead, "Sawyer?" Jack repeated, reaching for a water bottle to apply little droplets across Sawyer's face, hoping the cooling effect would wake him.

Sawyer's body seemed to shift slightly, his face twisting as he hissed in pain, lips contorting into another hellish groan. He was gasping now, shaking and shivering much as he had the previous night upon being exposed to the cool water. The fever still had not passed, and appeared to be making another heated advance against Sawyer's already battered body. Jack's hands shook with a nervous anticipation as he reached for the nearby bucket of water, fishing around beneath the rippled surface for the soaked cloth. Pulling the wet piece of fabric from the water, Jack twisted it hastily around his fingers, ringing out the excess of water before lightly pressing it against Sawyer's forehead. The man seemed to be swimming in a pool of sweat.

Jack watched as Sawyer's lips began to sway, moving in a painful sort of motion. He mumbled incoherently. His throat was parched as he coughed and gagged in between groans. Shoving a hand beneath Sawyer's struggling form, Jack forced him into a sitting position before lifting the bottle of water to his lips. More of the water ended up splattering over Sawyer's face and chest, drizzling down his chin and onto the airline blanket around his torso, but Jack still managed to get the man to swallow a little.

After a moment, Sawyer began to settle down again, his shifting becoming more fluid and soft, his groans less agonizing. He was nearly still again as Jack moved to lay him back against the pillows.

"Sorry, man…" Jack muttered as he lightly ran a hand over Sawyer's now bandaged wound, lightly lifting the fabric to check for excess bleeding, "I know this hurts…"

"Michael tells me you pulled the bullet out with your own hands…" Jack felt the need to talk, to converse with Sawyer even though everything he had ever learned in medical school had taught him the man had no way of hearing him. Jack continued to redress Sawyer's bandage, ignoring how Sawyer flinched and shivered beneath his finger tips, "You'll have to teach me how to do that sometime…"

"Where is she?" Jack jumped at the raspy drawl of Sawyer's near dead voice. His fingers hesitated, allowing the newly constructed bandage to fall from his hands.

"W-what?" Jack's voice came in a stutter, hardly believing that Sawyer could be finding consciousness, "I didn't-"

"Where is she?" the lazy slur of his voice came more clearly this time, though he was immediately thrown into a fit of coughs for the effort. Jack watched in amazement as Sawyer's eyes fluttered open for a moment, only to close again in the flicker of a second.

Jack's heart pounded as he registered Sawyer's words, "You mean Kate…"

In that moment Jack didn't know what to say, or even what to do. Where was Kate? How could he begin to answer that. How could he even think that Sawyer would hear him, understand him. It was too much to say just now. It was too much to even consider. So he let the sentence hang, hoping that Sawyer would fight his fever and move fully into consciousness.

For those few moments, Jack was beginning to think that Sawyer's brief show of life had been nothing more than a tiny flicker and that he had drifted back into sleep, but then the heavy southern voice filled his ears once more, this time coming to Jack the clearest of all.

"I love her…" the words couldn't have sounded more clear to Jack, but still he didn't register them at first. He blinked in several rapid motions, hardly daring to take a breath for fear that Sawyer would continue. For fear that he would say her name. _Kate_.

"I love her…" Sawyer's words came again with a painful gasp as he coughed for air. Jack immediately moved forward, forcing Sawyer firmly back against the pillows, as though unwilling to hear the man's words, "I love her…" Sawyer slurred again in little more than a whisper.

Jack let himself fall back, away from the cot, against a pile of old luggage that had been torn from the wreckage. His eyes were wide as he took in several short breaths, shaking his head in what could have been many emotions. Confusion. Disappointment. Jealousy. He didn't know what to think and especially not what he _should_ think.

_He loves her_…Sawyer loved her. Jack played with the idea in his mind, face contorting in distaste at the bitter flavor of the words against his lips. Jack had never considered the man that way, never thought of the two of them as being on the same plate. Never thought that anyone else could love Kate, feeling deeply for her. He hadn't thought Sawyer cared. But then there had been Sawyer's words. _I love her…_

* * *

There was a thickness to the air of the cave where Jack sat beside Sawyer's cot, his back to the jagged rock wall behind him. It was like a looming tension, a feeling even, one that would seemingly never leave. And in his own way, Jack hardly noticed the tense atmosphere, or hardly anything that surrounded him. The exhaustion he felt both mentally and physically was just about the only thing he could focus on. 

Many of the survivors had stopped by, some just to poke their head through the mouth of the cave to check on him. Some to see Sawyer even, wondering how he was doing and wanting to know more about how he had managed to get shot. Jack knew that the arrival of Sawyer and the rest of those who left on the raft only served to fuel the obsession the rest of the survivors had for the Others.

So much had happened, and they had every right to be afraid. If Jack said he was brave, that the Others didn't matter to him, he would be lying. The truth was they worried him every bit as much as everyone else. But could he show it? Of course not. They all looked to him for guidance. For bravery. For just that tiny glimmer of hope that maybe things might just be okay after all.

Jack chuckled lightly, his face twisting into a grim smile. He couldn't help but picture the look on his father's face if the man were to see him now. If he could see the countless encounters Jack faced daily with the other survivors. The way he had to give them hope, tell them everything was going to be okay, even when he had no way of knowing that. Even when he himself didn't see a single ray of hope in sight.

_"You might want to try handing out some hope every once in awhile. Even if there's a 99 percent possibility that they're utterly, hopelessly screwed, folks are much more inclined to hear that 1 percent chance that things are going to be okay."_

Christian Shepard had always been critical of Jack's bedside manner. He had always said that Jack needed to give more hope, even if there wasn't any to be had. At times, Jack had even suspected that his father wanted him to lie.

_"Her spine's crushed. I tell her that everything's going to be okay, that's false hope, dad.."_

Jack had his doubts that his father's advice on hope had anything to do with the welfare of the patient. Somehow, Jack had always known his father's tendency, no, his _need_ to make any situation easier for himself. That need had been what stemmed into a drinking problem, making him an alcoholic. Jack suspected it was that need that made Christian Shepard give his patients hope.

"Jack?" He was pulled suddenly from his silent reverie by the sound of his name. For a split second, Jack thought that the voice belonged to Sawyer, his mind immediately cleared when he noticed Sun standing tentatively at the mouth of his cave. He looked up at her from where he sat, momentarily startled. His eyes mirrored the exhaustion that he felt.

"Hurley said you were looking for me…" Sun continued, a shy, almost hesitant look crossing her timid features. Jack gazed at her for a moment, as if trying to once again gather his thoughts.

"Yeah…" Jack said after a moment, nodding to her. He made a move to get up and flinched at the pain that shot up his back. Every inch of his body was veering with a burning ache from Jack's recent fall, his back bearing the worst of it.

As Jack rose slowly to his feet, Sun watched him with a masked concern, gently approaching where Sawyer lay. Her eyes shifted from Jack to turn to Sawyer's till form, drifting over the man as though mentally checking him over. Though he tried, Jack couldn't tell from her face any sign of what she thought at the sight of Sawyer.

"How is he?" she asked, voice soft as her eyes fluttered back to Jack.

Jack swallowed hard, eyes falling to the floor, "It's hard to say, but there's nothing more that I can do for him…"

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she offered, obvious concern etched in her features.

A tiny smile flickered in the corner of his mouth, his eyes twinkling almost bitterly at the irony of her question. That was why he had called her here. Why he had needed her.

"Yes, actually, there is…" Jack began, feeling the guilt and shame already begin to wash over his very being. He wondered what she would think when she knew what he was asking, "I need to talk to you about something…something important…"

"Of course…" she replied, looking curiously at Jack as she moved to come in closer to where he stood beside Sawyer's cot.

Jack swallowed hard, staring down briefly at Sun, hardly knowing where to begin. There was so much to say, so much that she needed to know. He had to tell her about Kate, how he had to go after her. How he couldn't leave her with them any longer. He had to tell her about Sawyer, about how he wasn't sure if the man would live. How he had done all that he could. How now, he wouldn't be able to do anymore because he was leaving.

"I need you to stay with Sawyer…" the hesitance in Jack's eyes was as real as the look of completely exhaustion. Sun recognized it right away, but that didn't stop her own confusion from setting in.

"Why?" she asked in shock, watching Jack intensely, "Won't you-"

"I won't be here…" And now severe guilt was added to the mix of emotions swirling within Jack's gaze, each threatening to consume him.

His confession was met by a stony silence, one that Jack was unable to interpret. Was she angry? Did she blame him? Did she think badly of him for wanting to leave? Her features gave away nothing about what she might be thinking, only grim confusion.

When Sun showed no sign of speaking, only briefly opening her mouth as if to speak, but suddenly deciding against it, Jack sighed.

"I'm going after her, Sun…" Jack explained tiredly, nervously running his fingers through his short cropped hair.

Sun nodded then, as thought being suddenly flooded with understanding, "Kate…" she breathed, her lips twisting into a sad frown. She had spent many sleepless nights thinking of what might have become of her husband, but Kate's disappearance has also weighed heavily on her mind.

"You're going to find them, the Others?" Sun asked, the fear ever present in her voice. Fear of what she didn't know.

"I have to," Jack said simply, a hint of bitterness to his voice as he shook his head, "I feel like I'm failing him, leaving him like this, but I have to."

Sun knew without asking that Jack was talking about Sawyer. What a burden it must be, she mused, to be the only doctor stranded on the island.

"You said there is nothing more you can do for him…" Sun suggested, tilting her head to gaze softly at Jack, placing a gentle, reassuring hand on his arm.

"But there _should_ be!" Jack suddenly took a plunge, his voice rising as he nearly yelled this at her, eyes blazing, "I'm a doctor! I should be able to help him!"

"He's going to be fine, Jack. Sawyer is going to be fine," Sun said calmly, looking upon Jack with a pitying gaze that he could never recall having seen there before. After a moment, Sun knew that there was more Jack needed to hear. She just didn't know how to say it, "Kate needs you, Jack…"

"Damn it, I _know_ she does…" Jack buried his face in is hands, rubbing at his face as he continued to speak, "I have to go after her…I just…Sawyer could die…"

"Go after her, Jack," it was as close to a command as Jack thought he would ever hear coming from Sun, the usual timid demeanor briefly vanishing. There was an intensity to her gaze now, a seriousness that he had never seen before and it was something he admired; something he respected, "What happens to Sawyer is out of your hands. Find Kate, Jack. Bring her back."

* * *

Night had fallen as Jack slinked out into the open area of the caves. There was a chill breeze blowing in the night air, it tickled against the back of Jack's neck, rustling against his loose green shirt. He had his pack slung over his shoulders and a nine millimeter stuck securely within the hem of his jeans, just within reach. 

Bending down, Jack nervously tightened the thick laces of his boots, letting the legs of his jeans fall back down over them as he stooped back up. Glancing around the caves, Jack let out a sigh of relief when he found, just as he had suspected, that he was the only one still awake. The fire at the center of the caves now burned less steadily, slowly dimming down to nothing but charred coals as fresh fuel was no longer being added to it every hour or so. Even the torches that led to the paths out into the jungle were reduced to flickering embers.

Just as he was about to move towards the path that led to the hatch and out into the distant expanses of the jungle, a sound pierced the air, making Jack jump in surprise.

"Evening, Jack…" came a gruff, lightly amused voice.

Jack whirled around to meet the voice, knowing almost without looking who the voice belonged to. He turned to see Ana Lucia stepping out from behind the dying fire and into its dimly wavering shadow so that Jack could see her. Her lips were twisted into a knowing smile.

"Awful late to be going for a hike, Jack…" she commented after a moment, nodding towards his pack. Jack felt like a deer caught in the headlights, knowing that despite how careful he had been in leaving, he had been discovered.

When Jack hesitated to grace her with a response, she continued, "Well you're quiet, tonight," she muttered gruffly, as though baiting him. There was something about her banter that reminded him oddly of Sawyer. Jack quickly brushed away the thought, "And here I was thinking we could have a chat…"

Despite the harshness of her voice, the roughness of her stance, Jack sensed a nervousness about her. It was as though something was slightly off as she stepped out of some kind of perimeter she had set for herself. Out of all of the survivors, Ana had been the one to stay with him through most of the past day and a half he had spent watching after Sawyer. They had done their share of talking then, and Jack had to wonder if that wasn't somehow how she knew he would be here now.

He watched as Ana sat down on a log beside the dying fire, reaching to the ground at her feet to lift up a half empty bottle of what Jack suspected wasn't water. She gestured towards him with the bottle, swinging it lazily in the air before her as she pat the spot next to her on the log.

"Care for a drink, Jack?" it was then that Jack noticed the slight slur in her voice and had no doubt that the bottle she held had been full when she discovered it.

Breaking himself away from his thoughts, Jack finally found his voice, "I don't have time for this, Ana…" Jack's voice was light, but held a definite tone. His intentions were firm. He hesitated only briefly before beginning to move away when her voice met his ears once again.

"That's too bad…" she chided, taking a tiny swallow from the bottle and swallowing it hard. Jack could tell she was far from drunk, but could still see the beginning affects of the liquor, "You look like you could use it…"

"I need to go," Jack said after a moment, feeling a burning need to be on his way. The sooner he left, the sooner he could hope to find Kate. The sooner she might be safe. With that in mind, he turned away from Ana and moved off towards the jungle.

Before Jack could take more than a few strides, he felt calloused fingers tighten around his arm, pulling him into a firm grip as he was pulled to face her.

"She can wait a little longer…" Ana's voice was more firm now, and it set off a sudden anger in Jack that he hardly understood. He felt it pounding hotly through his veins none the less, eyes blazing as he roughly jerked his arm out of her grasp, taking a step back.

Jack thought to yell, to say something, _anything_ to express his anger at her insistence. Hadn't she learned anything from what he'd said over the past day and a half? They'd spent hours talking. About the island, their responsibilities. About Kate. He'd told her about everything that had happened with Kate, even mentioning what he thought he felt. And still she thought to stop him.

It was as he moved to walk away again that he watched as she threw a hand back in the blink of an eye, drawing out a 9 millimeter from the waistband of her faded jeans. She held the gun expertly before her, and Jack's mind flashed to her telling him about her time as a cop came to mind. He inwardly cursed himself for letting this happen. He should've seen it coming.

"Sit down," Ana gestured again towards the log by the fire, this time with much more incentive for Jack to listen. The hostility in her voice was obvious, but beneath it all there was a desperation that Jack couldn't quite place.

"I told you, I don't have time for this-" Jack began, this time his voice harsh and cold, eyes glaring daggers at her for pulling such a stunt. She didn't let him finish.

She took a step closer, brandishing the gun with a force about her that Jack couldn't believe, "You'll make time," it was said as an order with no suggestion in it.

Jack felt the sudden urge to laugh as she threatened him further with the gun. This was all too unreal. Of all the things he could possibly imagine preventing him from leaving to find Kate, this hadn't even crossed his mind. He found himself giving into the laughter as he chuckled bitterly at the irony of it all.

"You aren't going to shoot me, Ana," he sounded sure, perhaps more sure than he actually felt. He had been certain she wouldn't protest him going to find Kate, so how could he now be sure that she wouldn't shoot him.

She laughed at that, the laughter coming thickly from the back of her throat. Her eyes sparkled dangerously in the dim firelight, as though issuing a dare, "You're right," she said after a moment, her lips twisting into a cruel smile, "I won't shoot you. But if I wake up the Arab, somehow I can't see him pleased to find you trying to leave again…"

"I _told_ you Ana! I don't have time for this!" Jack boomed, fighting the urge to yell with everything that he had, knowing that if he did, he'd wake up everyone else and then her threat would be real.

"And I told _you_ you'd make time," she spoke without raising her voice, but the force was ever present, "Now. Sit. Down."

Sighing angrily, Jack followed her over to the fire. She sat first, leaning back closer to the fire as she motioned for him to follow suit. Jack took a seat on the log beside her, body tensing in frustration as he did so. He was wasting precious time.

"That's really not necessary," Jack spoke coldly, nodding his head towards the gun that she still held at the ready.

"I wouldn't want you thinking you could just walk off. Not yet.." she explained icily, never loosening her grip on the gun.

"You said you weren't going to shoot me," Jack said just as he had only moments earlier. He spoke as thought trying to assure himself of what he said. As though he didn't quite believe her. She hardly blamed him.

"I'm not," she insisted, taking a long swig from the bottle of liquor, "But the way you're headed, it'd be the easy way out…" This last part was muttered darkly, as though she was still living in some old experience.

"What do you want, Ana?" Jack pressed, hoping to put an end to this encounter as quickly as possible.

"I just want to know why…" she said after a moment, speaking as though it was the most simple thing in the world. As though it was nothing out of the ordinary for her to stop him in the middle of the night at gunpoint, "Why are you going out there? What's so special about her, Jack? What makes Kate so different that you'd go out there knowing you'll probably never come back?"

Jack was silent for a moment, and then he opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again, shaking his head. He brought a hand up briefly to cover his eyes, pulling it away in frustration as he felt the sting of tears burning against his eyes.

"It was my fault…" Jack's voice shook as he spoke, the anger he had previously felt vanishing from his demeanor. All that was left was a torn sadness and the weight of guilt. He sounded as though he was in pain as he spoke, "Everything that happened to her, happened because I let it happen. I let her walk right into their hands. I _knew_ it wasn't safe to be in the jungle alone, at night no less, and I let her go anyway. It was _my_ fault. And now I have to fix it. I have to go after her…"

Ana listened intently throughout his speech, showing no sign of disagreeing, but still showing nothing that signified she approved either, "So you've said," she spoke almost bitterly, her lips twisting into a knowing half grin, "But I think there's more. I think that you two had something going on and now you're thinking that's all there is. You think that because she led you on, you have some kind of responsibility for her. You think you love her."

"You think I _want_ this, Ana?" he asked, the anger suddenly pouring back into him with a vengeance, "She didn't deserve what happened…"

"I never said she did," Ana spoke calmly, gazing at Jack.

"But you don't think I should go after her," Jack responded, her voice holding an accusatory tone.

"I just want to know what's so special about her, Jack…" Ana repeated the words she had spoken before, this time her voice further laced with an acid bitterness, "What's so different about her that you can't have it with someone else?"

Jack froze at the question, stilled at what it implied. So she knew by assumption that Jack felt something for Kate. That this wasn't the kind of rescue he would attempt for just anyone, as much as he tried to tell himself that it was.

"I-I don't…" he began hardly sure of what to say or where to begin. The truth was, he didn't know where what he and Kate shared stemmed from. He didn't know where those silent looks they shared extended. He just knew it was real, that it happened.

"Is she really worth your life, Jack?" Ana asked, not allowing him to give a proper answer. It was as if she was sure there wasn't one. Like she thought this was all somehow in his head.

"She made it all okay…" Jack said after a moment, his eyes drifting to the dying fire as he spoke, the flickering embers reflecting in his eyes, "It seemed like everyday it was always something. Some accident, some reason for me to worry myself sick over everyone, especially her. But somehow, she made it seem okay…She made it seem like life goes on…"

For once that night, Ana was silent. She gazed on at him in feigned interest, as though she was finally getting some kind of answer. When she didn't say anything, didn't interrupt him at all, Jack continued. He shook his head, lightly chuckling as he spoke, a bitter edge clear in his voice.

"She was always looking out for me, always worrying about me the same way I was worried about everyone else," his lips twisted into a grim smile, the bittersweet feeling of memories fresh in his mind, "You know, she even drugged me once, just so I would sleep? She crushed up sleeping pills and put them in my food. All so I would sleep…"

"So what are you saying, Jack?" Ana asked, her voice hard. She looked skeptical, as though she could hardly believe that Jack thought Kate was worth all of this.

"I'm saying that its worth it," Jack said simply, voice firm, "All of it."

"Then you should go…" Ana said after a moment, that same desperation that Jack had noticed before becoming more noticeable in her voice.

Inwardly sighing in relief, Jack stood up from the log. He nodded to her briefly, not really understanding why he thought he even owed her that much. Just as he began to walk away, heading for the tree line, she called out to him once more.

"Jack…" she called out to him. He stopped, hesitating briefly before once again turning to face her. This time, he really seemed to take in her image properly as he gazed at her. She was wearing the same clothes she had worn since he had stumbled upon her in the jungle. The same black tank top and tattered jeans. Her hair was mussed and she had a weary look about her that Jack couldn't mistake. He felt a pang of guilt at being so cold to her.

Their eyes met, and she looked at him with a burning gaze, and intensity that Jack couldn't hope to match, "I'm sorry…" her voice was light this time, very nearly missing the rough edge all together, "I just…I was worried. I shouldn't have done what I did. I just wanted you to know that it doesn't have to be this way. She isn't the only one who cares…"

Jack was silent, gazing sadly at her, unsure of what he could say. He swallowed hard, watching as she slowly approached him until she was standing right before him. He looked down on her and their eyes met, once again locked by an intensity that Jack couldn't explain.

"Just remember that, Jack…" Ana said softly, a light tone that Jack never could've imagined possible for her, "Remember that while you're out there looking for her, it could be different…"

"I know…" Jack said quietly, wanting to somehow do something to break the tension, but nothing came to mind.

"Just go, Jack…" she muttered after a moment, forcing a small smile to stretch across her face as she reached out to grip his arm. She squeezed reassuringly before letting go, "She needs you…"

Nothing else was said as Jack merely nodded. She turned away from him then, going back to sit by the fire. He watched her for a moment, as though in awe as she sat there, once again turning to the bottle of liquor. She took a long swig, her eyes never turning back to meet his, never acknowledging that he was still there.

After a moment, Jack too turned away, heading for the jungle. This time, there were no interruptions and for the first time that night, he felt that at least one tiny thing was going his way.

* * *

Hours later, Jack found himself sitting before a crackling fire, the flickering light of the flames dancing in the reflection of his eyes. He had been hiking for what felt like an eternity, but he knew that it had only been a few hours since he had left camp. Still, he had managed to distance himself from the caves and was well on his own now. 

Limbs aching, Jack felt a burn moving through his legs and arms. Everything seemed sore just now as the exhaustion was fighting to take over. It was why he had stopped. His eyes had begun to droop and though he wanted to get as far as he could tonight, he knew that it would be best, not to mention safer, for him to stop and make camp.

As his eyes began to feel heavy, drooping lazily closed, Jack let them. He let himself rest for a moment, knowing that his mind was still too chaotic to get any proper sleep. He couldn't get her off of his mind, couldn't erase the look in he had witnessed in Henry Gale's eyes when he spoke of her. It was horrifying to think that she could be in his hands.

Allowing his eyes to flutter open, Jack felt suddenly restless. Though every bone is his body fought with him to just lay down and drift off to sleep, he just couldn't. Shifting around, Jack reached behind him for his pack, hastily opening up the front pouch and pulling out the lighter that Danielle had given him.

Now here was a mystery that he was burning to figure out. Running the tips of his fingers over the protruding logo, Jack once again found himself questioning its meaning, all the while knowing that somehow, it had to be important. Rousseau had all but said so herself. She had said it would be of use to him, hadn't she? And then just by looking at her, he had known that she knew much more than she was letting on. She knew the answers he needed so badly. She _had _to know. But she wanted him to figure it out on his own.

And what had she meant that the Others weren't what he thought? Well, not all of them, she'd said. Like she knew. And she must, he mused, knowing that she had spent sixteen years on this island. She had known where he could find them and she had pointed the way, so then she must know more. She had acted like it anyway. But the greatest mystery was the Others. She had hinted that they were more than they seemed, and Jack had no doubt about that, but she had acted almost positively about them. As though they might be _good_. Now _that_ was impossible. Good people didn't hurt others. Still though, Jack couldn't help but wonder and he knew that if all went as he hoped, he would soon have some answers.

* * *

Rain was falling all around Jack as he stumbled through the thick mass of trees. The jungle had become much more dense as he followed the rivers, just as Danielle had hinted. Despite his obvious discomfort at the situation, Jack was thankful that at least he knew he was going the right way. 

His clothes were drenched as the rain continued to fall, soaking his entire body. His clothes clung tightly to his frame, leaving behind a wet residue on his skin. Large gushes of water drizzled down his face, rolling down his chin as he found to keep a steady breathing pattern.

The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, its rays lightly dancing along the distant hilltops. The sparkling array had always been a pleasure for Jack to watch, particularly as its dazzling effect all but tripled in the rain, but just now, Jack hardly noticed it. The sunrise had lost its luster to him, as only one thing and one purpose was on his mind. Finding Kate.

He was close. It was as though he could feel it in his bones. It was like a burning from deep within, like a constant pang of thought that refused to leave. It was just there. The knowledge that he was almost where he needed to be. That everything was going to happen soon, whatever that meant.

Shaking his head, Jack let the built up droplets of rain fly out of his hair, only to be replaced by new ones as the rain continued to steadily fall. Lifting a calloused hand over his eyes, Jack strained his eyes to look out into the distance. Gazing passed the trees and foliage, Jack realized that the plateau was now directly in front of him, just as Rousseau had said. Whatever it was she had sent him into, he should be upon it at any time.

Less than ten yards to his right flowed the two small rivers that were really more similar to creeks. Jack had been following them for several miles and was feeling a burn in each of his muscles, starting from the tips of his toes and building up as the pain traveled up his back, creating a dull ache.

His eyes fluttered in annoyance as tiny drops of rain got caught against them, sticking against his eyelids. The trees surrounding him had gotten so thick that he couldn't take a single step without first having to brush a stray branch out of his path, the leaves and vines brushing against him as he passed through.

The break in the trees came almost instantly, with very little warning. As Jack brushed a larger branch from his face, the leaves momentarily blocking his vision, he stepped suddenly into the clearing. He realized it right away as he was hit with a flood of light. When he had been in the dense jungle, very little light had managed to pass through the thick tree canopy. Now though, there was nothing but the cloud strewn sky above him.

Without the safeguard of the trees, Jack felt suddenly exposed. Vulnerable. And now the rain was falling in torrents around him, the no longer light wind whipping against his face. Perhaps it was the shock at his new surroundings, or the intensity of the rain falling upon him, but it wasn't until several moments after Jack had stumbled into the clearing that he noticed a monstrous form before him.

Raising his head, it took mere seconds for his eyes to fall on it. He gasped, his mouth hanging open in what could only be awe. Whatever he had been expecting to find, this hadn't been it. It was a massive wall, a structure unlike anything that Jack had ever set eyes on. He stumbled suddenly as it registered in his mind what it was, falling back in unrestrained fright.

There was a quality about it that Jack couldn't begin to define, his mind grasping at straws for an explanation. It was an eerie kind of sense, a ferocious character to the wall. Its size alone was enough to create a kind of awe in anyone, but across its surface were intricate designs carved into the stone, casting off an intimidating flare that Jack couldn't mistake.

Seeing such a manmade object erected in the middle of a seemingly unpopulated expanse of jungle brought Jack's whirling mind suddenly to the hatch. Breathing hard, Jack remembered his reaction to seeing the metal contraption for the first time. It had been shock, amazement even, perhaps a sliver of fear, but nothing like this. No, there was something so much more real about this wall. Something so much more threatening.

And as Jack stood there dumbfounded, hardly sure of what to do now, he knew that this hadn't been what he had expected at all. In his mind, he had pictured another hatch. A type of bunker. Some sort of military structure. Just _anything_ but a wall of all things. And what a wall it was.

It hit him then, in that moment of utter terror, looking up in a dazed awe at the wall, that this was real. All of it. It was all happening. Kate was here, somewhere. Somehow, this wall had something to do with her captors. He was close. _So_ close. And the tension in the air, clouding his lungs, the intensity coursing through his veins, it was all too much.

Reaching gingerly behind him, Jack reached back and pulled out the nine millimeter from within the hem of his jeans. Feeling the cold metal in his hands surged his adrenalin rush even more, causing the blood to pound furiously in his ears. He held the gun in front of him as he looked around the clearing cautiously. Waiting. He gripped at the handle firmly, slipping his middle and pointer fingers securely over the trigger.

Almost shakily, Jack took a step into the clearing, ducking his head as he moved passed a protruding tree branch. It was eerily quiet just now with nothing but the wind blowing and the rain falling. Jack could hear the wind as it blew through his hair, stinging as it bit against his face, humming in his ears. The silence magnified the noise of every falling drop of rain, and Jack could have sworn he could count them all.

Slinking along the line of trees that surrounding the clearing, Jack stayed just behind the foliage. He walked cautiously along the line, not daring to set even a toe out passed the trees. He imagined that a people that was wise enough to live behind such walls must also be well guarded. Though he hadn't spotted any, Jack assumed that there had to be sentries.

Countless questions were swirling through Jack's clouded mind as he fought to stay on task. He found that he had no idea how he was going to handle this. The wall was massive. Terrifying. And utterly hopeless and foreboding. How was he supposed to get passed it? There was no way he could think to get inside. And supposing he did? What could he hope to do then?

But despite his thoughts, Jack just kept on walking. Like he had a plan. Like he knew what he was doing. He surveyed the wall and the clearing as he continued to walk around its perimeter, never allowing his grip on the nine millimeter to waver.

The stone wall had two massive swinging doors. Taking in their image, Jack realized that they had to weigh tons and it made him wonder how whoever lived within those walls managed to open them. Off to the sides of the doors, Jack saw a guard tower to each corner. Exactly what he had been looking for. The two towers stood, if possible, even higher that the top of the wall itself. Rather than being of stone, they were made of a tough looking lumber with a thatched roof. They were supported by large beams of wood that Jack suspected were constructed out of entire trees. Large ones, at that.

And despite all that was on Jack's mind, he couldn't help but wonder how these people had gotten stone and mortar out here. On an island in the middle of nowhere. An island that no civilized person seemed able to find. Every detail of the wall and the guard towers screamed of civilization. Of a professional.

Crouching down amongst the foliage, Jack carefully edged forward, gun in hand. The rain had calmed significantly now, and was little more than a light drizzle against his face. Letting out a breath, Jack focused on the watch tower nearest to him, hoping to catch site of a guard. After a moment, Jack noticed a dark silhouette leaning against the back of the tower. The roof above the figure threw a shadow against his form, so that Jack could hardly make out any of the person's features.

But Jack didn't turn away. Instead, he kept a steady gaze on the figure, as though waiting for something he was certain would happen. And it did. After a few moments, the figure moved lazily forward, stopping at the front of the tower to lean over the edge, arms resting securely against the rim of the tower's sides, as though staring over a balcony.

Jack's mind was in a whirl, heart pounding madly within his chest as the figure came into full view, the clear light of morning falling over his features. As the light fell over the figure's face, Jack knew right away that it was a young man, perhaps even a boy that stood up there. He couldn't have been more than seventeen, if even that, Jack mused. He was tall with a stalky build. He looked big for his age. Strong. He had big hands, his knuckles white as he gripped the railing of the tower.

The young man had a tumble of smoky brown curls that fell down into his face, almost covering up his eyes. He had sparkling blue eyes, clear as the morning's light. Jack found himself staring, having hardly imagined the and Other to look like this boy did. Young. Innocent. Could it be that someone like this boy was responsible for kidnapping Kate? Was this the face of the Others? And then Rousseau's words rang sharply in Jack's mind.

_"They are not what you think…Not _all_ of them…"_

Those words had struck him as an odd thing to say. But the had resounded in his mind like an echo immediately after they had left her lips.

_"What are you saying?"_

Like so many other times in his life, Jack had been unwilling to let himself understand what she might have meant. And even now, he wasn't sure that he did.

_"You will understand in due time…"_

Heart pounding, Jack couldn't tear his eyes away from the young man, the Other, who stood on the platform. He knew then that though he still didn't fully comprehend Rousseau's words, they were at least ringing true in his eyes now. And he had to wonder if he was staring into the face of what he had been so sure was nothing but evil. He had as much as told Rousseau they were just that, anyway.

_"And what do they seem to you, Jack?"_

She had asked him with a complete sincerity to her voice and Jack had almost questioned himself in that moment, suddenly unsure.

_"They're evil…They take people, innocent people, and they hurt them…What they do, it isn't fair and I don't understand it…"_

His voice had shook with the uncertainty that he had felt. And from the look she had held in her misty blue gray eyes, she hadn't missed a beat of it.

_"Perhaps they are…But then again, perhaps they aren't…"_

As her words continued to ring clear in his mind, Jack shook them away, banishing them from his thoughts. He couldn't think about this, not now. As much as he wanted to consider that some of them may be good, that he might even be wrong about them, Jack knew that it wasn't an option just now. He had to hate them. _All_ of them. To get Kate back, he couldn't afford to hesitate for any reason. Not even for innocence.

And that was the thought that scared him. Never before had he felt murder in his heart. Not once in his life, not even on this island, had he considered murder in cold blood. Shedding innocent blood. Killing even with a shadow of a doubt. And it scared him. It brought the grim picture of Kate with her toy airplane to his mind, her fingers gripped tightly around it as she lazily simulated flight. He saw the cold look in her eyes that slowly faded into a look of such intense emotion that he could hardly comprehend it. That was the affects of murder. Cold blooded killing.

Jack was so caught up in his own thoughts that he had hardly noticed his position. He had made himself just visible from within the foliage, no longer hidden by the dense confines of the trees. Jack jumped back at this realization, shrinking away as though he had been burned. It was this sudden movement that made Jack look up and it was in that moment that he met the boy's eyes.

He watched, as if in slow motion as the boy's eyebrows curled in confusion, gazing in what could only be amazement at Jack. His mouth dropped open slightly, watching Jack almost curiously, as though frozen to the spot. It was in that moment that Jack slowly drew away, hoping that he wouldn't draw the boy out of his trance until he had managed to get away.

But then Jack watched the boy's ice glaze over, becoming cold and glassy as they fell to the nine millimeter lodged securely within Jack's grip. The boy's face twisted into sudden understanding and before Jack could think to move, the boy had dove expertly for a nearby rope, tugging it with all his might. A loud bell immediately began to clang, sounded an alarm.

Jack cursed under his breath at his own stupidity. Why had he allowed himself to be seen? His body tensed up, momentarily frozen as he realized that they would be coming after him now and he would have run, leaving empty handed. It took him only seconds though to bolt back into the trees, running with all of his might to get away from the pursuit he knew would be coming any moment now.

And it did, much faster than Jack had ever though possible. They came at him like a storm, a fury of whoops and calls as they went. They ran with a swiftness that was unimaginable to Jack, moving so smoothly that their feet made very little sound. Jack recognized the stealth that he had expected.

His mind was in a fury as he ran, determined to get away. Not only for himself, but for Kate. If he was captured, then she would have no hope. And he wasn't even sure that capturing was what was on their mind. Though they moved far too quickly and everything was too chaotic for him to properly tell, he could see that they all carried rugged looking spears, but deadly ones none the less.

His legs burned in protest as he pushed himself harder, mind blacking out from the exhaustion. His breaths came hard and strong, but they were never enough to fuel him for this kind of pace. Jack soon began stumbling, and he felt his body giving way. He couldn't give himself over though. He had to keep going, even if it killed him.

The first of them to reach him hit with a force that he could hardly comprehend, bounding into him with a fully executed tackle. Before he had even hit the ground, another of them barreled forcefully into him, knocking the wind out of him as they fell into a tumbling pile onto the jungle floor.

He coughed and gagged, unable to breath as clumps of dirt were forced into his mouth as his face was pressed into the jungle floor from the fall. He barely felt the weight of the two men come off of him, the pain was already too great.

It hardly registered in Jack's mind as he was firmly gripped by the shoulders and roughly rolled onto his back, the pain tearing through his upper body like wildfire. He winced, unable to stop himself from groaning at the ache. He coughed, wheezing as he came up short of breath.

They didn't hesitate at his coughing fit, but proceeded to pull his arms none too gently whichever way they pleased, several of them securing him as they bound his arms and legs. He didn't have the strength to fight them away and found that he could hardly move.

Every muscle in his body tensed at once as one of them shoved a dampened clothe in his face, forcing it roughly over his mouth and nose. Against his will, Jack inhaled, the strong scent of whatever was on the cloth nearly overcoming him. It smelled very similar to rubbing alcohol and it took only a few moments before he felt the effects. His eyelids became suddenly heavy, his entire body going tense. If it was possible, he felt even more exhausted than before.

As his eyes fell lazily closed, Jack felt himself being pulled roughly to his feet, one of them tightly gripping him at each arm. His head fell to the side, and someone pushed it violently up from behind, steadying him. They were talking now, and though their voices came clear, Jack's mind was falling too quickly into a thick haze to comprehend their words. He couldn't begin to fight it as he felt a thick fabric being shoved over his face. It surrounded his entire head and it itched against his skin and had a terrible stench. Jack realized that it was a bag.

A deep sleep finally over came him as they began to move, dragging him along, his body gone limp. The last thing that came to his mind was perhaps the clearest of all. It was an image of Kate, her eyes shining brightly at him from a dim firelight. Her lips were twisted into a rare smile, the contours of her face illustrating a relaxed look. He tried to call her name then, the image biting away at his consciousness, but it was to no avail. He had passed out within seconds, his captors dragging him along through the jungle and back to the wall.

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A/N:** Well, I hope you guys liked it! Don't forget to review because I always like to know what you think about my fic. Any suggestions or constructive criticism is always encouraged, and I really do appreciate it too. Thanks for reading! 


	10. Found

**A/N:** Wow, this has to be an all-time record for me. I don't think I've ever updated less than any less than a week passed my last update. I was just really encouraged by your reviews to get another chapter out, not to mention I was really excited about this chapter, that I just started writing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and I'll try to get another one out sometime next week. Possibly sooner, I can never tell. 

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it…

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** All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 9: Found**

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Jack's mind flew back into consciousness with a blinding head ache. It was like a burning sensation that started just at the bridge of his nose and extended over his brow. Though he could see nothing, for he couldn't force his eyes open just yet, Jack felt his face contort into a wince. His mind was scattered, lost in a whirl of chaos. As he fought for consciousness, he couldn't get himself to grip on any single thought.

_Where am I_, Jack questioned himself, mind in a whirl. Kate. He remembered Kate. Going after her. And it was in that moment that it all came rushing back to Jack. The wall. He remembered the massive wall and how he had been so mesmerized by it. And he remembered the young man, the Other that had been standing in the watch tower. The young man had spotted him and he had been captured.

But that still didn't answer where he was now because wherever he was, it wasn't out in the dense foliage by the wall. As his eyes fluttered open, fighting against the wait of his eyelids, Jack could feel the stinging ache in his back and the burn of cold cement against his upper back and shoulders. He was being dragged.

Groaning, Jack gritted his teeth as the cement beneath him became less smooth, its surface growing rather course in spots. He could hear the rest of them around him, reacting to his sign of life. They whispered, almost with a fearful tone, but that couldn't be right. _They_ had captured _him_. If anyone should be afraid, it ought to be Jack.

His body felt numb as he felt his captors pull him to a sudden stop, jolting him roughly to the side. His head pulsed, stinging in further pain as he heard the sound of a large metal door creaking open. Once again he was lifted, this time his entire body coming off the ground. He was tossed harshly onto the hard floor. Jack could feel the unnaturally cold cement beneath him, sending shivers up his spine as his bare arms brushed against it.

It was only as they began hastily tugging at his head and neck that Jack remembered the bag they had placed over his head. He felt the tiniest fleck of relief, knowing that the bag was the reason he couldn't see anything. He drew in a sharp, painful breath as the bag was yanked off his head.

Panting hard, Jack was finally able to draw in the amount of air he needed. He winced as he felt calloused hands pulling at his wrists and ankles, tugging at his binds. Blinking rapidly, Jack's eyes began to adjust to the dim, unnatural light of the room. He flinched as he heard a rustle of cloth and then noticed the glint of metal being pulled from within the shirt of one of his captors. The young man took the knife and swiftly cut away the ropes that bound Jack's arms and then repeated this action on the ropes surrounding Jack's ankles.

Jack felt his limps fall limply to the floor, suddenly allowed to go slack. The men that had brought him to this cell quickly got to their feet, moving swiftly away from Jack before going for the door. Jack was lightly amused by this action, knowing that his body was too worn out to do them any harm if he tried. He winced as the metal door came crashing closed with a sickening thud.

Rubbing his wrists, Jack hissed in pain. They were raw where the binds had cut sharply into his skin, leaving a nasty ring there. Breathing hard, Jack pulled himself up into a sitting position, wanting to check his surroundings. Since the door had been slammed shut, the room had become pitch black, with only a tiny crack of light coming from under the metal door.

From the little that he could see, the walls surrounding him looked to be of solid concrete. It felt cold against the back of his neck as Jack braced himself against the wall beside the door, cracking his neck in an attempt to ease the pain in his shoulders. Just about every part of him hurt, he thought grimly. And again he had to wonder what kind of situation he had managed to get himself into.

Anger like Jack had never felt suddenly surged through him, alighting him with a newfound energy. Balling his hands into fists, Jack swung around with and hit the wall with a yell of frustration. He immediately recoiled, hissing in pain, his clenched fist tightening even further.

It was in that moment, as Jack hastily massaged his hand, slowly rubbing out the pain, that he heard it. It was quiet, so much so that Jack barely caught it. A small gasp coming from somewhere in the cell and then silence.

Jack nearly jumped as he heard it, having thought all along that he was alone. He stilled himself, allowing his mind to calm so that he might hear another disturbance, if any. His heart was pounding madly within his chest, his veins now burning with a newfound emotion. Fear.

Several moments passed when Jack could swear he heard the very beating of his heart. Every breath he took resounded clearly within his ears; the only sound in the room. Just as he began to question what he had heard before, he heard a quiet, almost inaudible whimpering.

"Hello?" Jack's voice shook as he spoke and he was slightly aware of a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

His call was met by another stretch of silence, but soon the came the tiny whimpers again. Jack listened, in tuned to the noise, no longer having a doubt that he wasn't alone. The whimpers grew more persistent and soon turned into soft crying. The cries sounded so broken. Defeated. It made his breath stop, catching in his throat. What had they done to this person, that they could sound so lost?

Jack inched slowly closer to the voice, not quite able to place exactly where it was coming from, but knowing it was nearby. He listened for a moment, waiting for another sign to lead him closer.

"Who's there?" Jack's voice held a more demanding tone this time, as he grew eager to know what was going on.

A tiny gasp met Jack's ears, and it was in that moment that it all came crashing down around Jack and a voice that he had begun to believe he would never hear again met his ears, his heart racing.

"J-Jack?" came a cracked whisper, voice laden with tears and course from crying.

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As the morning's light flowed over the caves, Sayid found himself lost in thought. He had been up since sunrise, and it seemed that he hadn't slept properly over half the night. Too much had been on his mind, burdening his thoughts. There was so much to think about, so much to make him worry. 

With the looming threat of the Others, and over forty other people who needed guidance, Sayid knew that they needed a plan. They needed some sort of battle strategy. A defense mechanism. Anything was better than nothing and just now, they didn't have much. It had only been days since they had even known for certain the these Others existed, and even less time before they knew them to be a threat. And perhaps it was only now that the true heat of the situation fully sunk in for Sayid, finally registering in his clouded mind.

They needed guards, a good number of them too. People to guard the perimeter of the caves at all times, day and night. It just wasn't safe to live unguarded anymore. Sayid had considered the situation for half the night and he had come to the conclusion that defending themselves against the Others would start with gathering volunteers for perimeter guards.

Sayid found himself eager to talk to Jack. He knew that the doctor hadn't been himself since Kate had gone missing, but he was a leader none the less. All of the survivors looked to him for guidance, as though he were a beacon of hope. Even now, when Jack rarely came out of his cave and spent all of his time tending to Sawyer.

Sayid knew that Jack would agree, especially considering what had happened to Kate. They had practically taken her right out of the safety of the caves. If they had had guards posted properly, it was likely that the kidnapping might never have happened.

With this in mind, Sayid made his way to Jack's cave, knowing that the sooner they got to work on making the caves safer, the faster things would be back in order. They could almost live peacefully. Civilly. It was a far away thought, Sayid knew, but with the hope of rescue drifting farther away with each new day, a need to dig in and make this a better place to live slowly replaced his need for escape.

Stepping into the cave, Sayid was surprised to find that Jack was nowhere to be seen. The young Latino woman that had been one of the survivors from the tail section sat lounging beside Sawyer's cot, a wrinkled and battered novel in her hands. Her face was bent in concentration as she read, her deep raven strands of hair falling onto the pages of her book.

It took several moments for her to notice Sayid's presence as he stood there silently waiting. She lifted her head up quizzically from the book, flashing him a look of curiosity rather than surprise. This struck a chord in Sayid's mind. The look was almost feigned and he felt the wheels begin to turn in his head, wanting to piece this together.

"Something I can help you with?" she muttered gruffly, dark eyes bearing down on Sayid as he stood silently before her.

"I'm looking for Jack," Sayid's voice was firm, holding no hint of suspicion, though by now he had come to see that something was indeed amiss.

"He's not here," she replied smartly, her lips twisting into an almost curt smile. Sayid thought he understood now, but he wasn't going to let her toy with him.

"Have you seen him?" Sayid questioned, though he was almost certain even before voicing the question that he wasn't going to get the answer he was looking for. And he was right.

"Yes," came her short reply, making him inwardly fume. Yes, it was all very clear now what had happened and Sayid could kick himself for not having expected it.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Sayid questioned, raising his voice as he spoke heatedly, "He went after her again, didn't he!"

Sayid took her knowing silence for a positive response. Jack was gone. He had left again, only this time Sayid was certain he wouldn't be coming back. He felt the anger beginning to consume him, lashing through him like a violent storm. He was grateful that nothing lay within his reach, for he knew he would have thrown it in his fury. He couldn't believe Jack had done this, and yet in the back of his mind he had known all along.

"When?" he asked sternly, eyeing her with contempt. Sayid knew without a doubt that she had known. Somehow, she had been a part of Jack leaving and it made him furious to know that she had just stood by and let it happen.

"Last night," she responded smugly, raising her eyebrows at him in an almost mocking way as that same half smile played at her lips.

Sayid cursed under his breath, knowing that there would be no hope of going after Jack now. He was undoubtedly too far out in the jungle to be recovered. The only thing they could do now was wait for his return or assume him dead. Amongst all of the countless dangers of the dense jungle surrounding the caves, there was also the ever present threat of the Others. Sayid had no doubt that they would kill Jack if they caught him out searching for Kate alone. Henry Gale had said as much when he had come to demand Walt in return for Kate.

"And he just left Sawyer here in this condition?" Sayid asked, looking down at Sawyer in a kind of pity. Surviving something so serious as a gunshot wound under their limited circumstances was enough of a miracle. Now with the loss of their only doctor, it might as well be impossible.

"He said the Korean woman could handle it. Said she knew something about herbal remedies…" Ana responded, motioning her head towards Sawyer.

"She's not a doctor!" Sayid boomed, much has he had previously done to Jack. The man had so much faith in Sun, and indeed she had proven herself very useful in the medical field, but she was no doctor. As a trained professional, Jack had to see that.

"Maybe not, but something tells me Jack couldn't do anything more for the guy than she can. He's too far gone…" Ana explained, not exactly sure why she was so intent on defending Jack. She suspected it wouldn't do any good now anyway, so why was she so persistent?

"Jack has a responsibility to everyone in this camp!" Sayid continued to rant as though completely dismissing Ana's defense. There were other scores to settle with Jack.

"Did you ever ask yourself if that was even what he wanted?" Ana stood up suddenly, facing Sayid with a fire in her eyes. She wasn't going to let the fuming man talk her down. She could handle men like him any day, "He crashed on that plane same as the rest of us. Why should he be anymore responsible than anyone else?"

"He's a doctor! He took an oath!" Sayid continued to yell, unable to control the burning anger that he felt. He couldn't believe that Jack could just walk out on everyone.

"From what I've heard, he's more than kept that oath already. He works himself 'til he's sick and then it still isn't enough. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Ana felt her own anger burning within. She knew how this man must feel. Betrayed. But if he would just calm down and think about it, then he'd see how foolish he actually was.

"He's our _only _doctor…" Sayid's voice had calmed down significantly, and he had a look of loss written clearly in his eyes. It was a look of fear, of desperation even, "The people here, they look to him for guidance. If they knew he was gone, there would be chaos…"

"Then let there be chaos," Ana insisted, looking firmly at Sayid with an unwavering gaze, "He's doing what he has to do. He's earned that much, hasn't he? And besides, they'll all get over it. Just give them time…"

Sayid was quiet for a moment, willing himself to think rationally about all of this. He knew that the woman was probably right. He knew that it would be difficult, perhaps it would even feel impossible at first, but that things would somehow work out in the end. But he just couldn't see passed the mess they were in now. If someone was to be hurt, even a small injury, then there would be very little that could be done for them. They _needed_ a doctor.

"Perhaps you're right…" Sayid forced himself to admit calmly, stifling his anger as best as he could. He knew that he had to be able to think clearly about this. A lot of responsibility had fallen onto his shoulders and he had to be ready to take it, "I apologize…" he spoke after a moment, eyes looking distant as he spoke, "This just isn't a predicament I wanted to find myself in…"

Ana nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. She knew exactly what Sayid must be feeling, for it was the same burden she had been pinned with shortly after the plane had crashed. Only over the past few days had she been allowed to relinquish it.

"I don't believe I ever caught your name…" Sayid spoke more softly now, voice missing the hard edge that had been present when he was yelling. He looked thoughtfully at her, gazing into her deep brown eyes.

"Ana Lucia," she responded, making no move to reach out a hand, only flashed him a crooked smile, "And yours?"

"My name is Sayid…" he said after a moment, eyes traveling down to Sawyer's still form.

There was a long stretch of silence, neither really wanting to be the one to break it. Sayid decided after a moment that with Jack gone, he would need to make a plan. The perimeter guards were still an excellent idea, but there were other matters at hand now. Such as keeping everyone from panicking. He decided it was time he left.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ana Lucia and a shame that we are not meeting under better circumstances…" he spoke with a small smile tugging at the edge of his lips. He nodded politely to her before turning away and exiting the cave, feeling more lost than he had ever felt.

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"Kate!" Jack breathed, heart pounding wildly within his chest, his pulse resounding in his ears. Stunned did not even begin to describe what he felt, the whirl of emotions that were spreading like wildfire through his mind. 

And without another word, Jack listened as Kate broke into a sudden fit of sobs, crying harder than she had been doing moments before. He felt the sudden urge to reach out to her, to touch her. Hold her in his arms. A desperation like he had never felt washed over him and he was suddenly frantic to reach her.

"Jack…" she mumbled his name between sobs, her voice coming out in a cracked whisper, "Jack…" she repeated his name again, and the broken sound of her voice tore at his heart.

Reaching out blindly, Jack frantically stretched his limbs out over the cold concrete floor, trying desperately to reach her. He could hear her shifting, moving along the floor in the same way that he was, just as hurried to find him. All of the pain that had been there moments before seemed to melt into nothingness, as though it had never been there. Jack knew that this was from some kind of adrenalin rush, that the pain would be back, but he didn't care. Out of everything else, it mattered the least just now.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jack's fingers brushed something solid and warm. With a harsh, stuttered laugh of relief, Jack felt an utter sense of excitement rush through him, overpowering him. He hastily stumbled forward, but found his movement unnecessary as she flew into his chest, hitting him like a ton of bricks.

He felt a stab of pain as her body slammed against his, but he couldn't have cared less. His arms flew hastily around her, swooping her into his waiting embrace. He felt her body pressed firmly against his as she threw her arms around his neck, squeezing with all that she had, as if to pull him closer still.

His hands went immediately to her hair as he ran his fingers through it, feeling the thick curls slide across his skin like silk. He brought his hands down to her back, his fingers splayed open as he held her there, his face buried in her hair. Her head was tucked under his chin and Jack could feel the softness of her lips against the base of his neck as she pressed her face there, as though hiding herself away.

After moments that felt like eternity, Jack could still feel the fresh bliss and excitement, unable to force his mind to anything else. All he could do was hold her close, pull her tightly to him, and tell himself that he never had to let go. That this was real and she was here with him. He felt a wetness against the fabric of his shirt and when her breathing became erratic, he knew that she was still crying, her tears soaking through his shirt to his skin.

"Shhh, shhh…" Jack soothed her, fingers brushing over her back in tiny circles while he brought his spare hand to lightly stroke her head, "It's okay…It's going to be alright…" His voice came out course and rough, as though weighted down by tears. Tears of happiness. Relief.

The blackness surrounded them still, looming menacingly around them. It was then as Jack opened his eyes, blinking back at the darkness, that he realized that though he could feel every inch of her, he couldn't see her. He saw only a dark outline of her, a sketchy view of her hunched form. He wanted so badly to see her face then, to see the skin that felt smooth as porcelain against his own as her face still lay buried in the crook of his neck.

Disentangling his hand from her hair, Jack brought it to cup her cheek, running the tips of his fingers down her face to lightly grip her chin. He felt her wince harshly beneath his touch, her entire body shifting uncomfortably. It took her only seconds to still herself, and Jack found himself forgetting it had even happened.

He tilted her head up to face him, chin in hand. Though he could see very little of her, when he gazed down at her face, knowing it was there but unable to make it out, he saw her eyes glinting in the dim light. He couldn't see their color, though he already knew it well, but he could see the light in them. He could see life. Her eyes glistened with tears, a sight that was enough to break him, but he still saw life. And that was enough.

"You're here…" her voice was so timid. So changed and broken. Damaged. Her stroked her cheek with his thumb, reveling in the feel of her skin beneath his finger tips.

Jack's eyes fluttered closed as he felt her hand cupping his cheek. He drew in a sharp breath as she ran her fingers over his face, as though wanting to prove to herself that he really was sitting there before her. That he had come for her. She ran her fingers over his stubble, the tears that had previously been falling now beginning to dry on her cheeks.

Slowly, she began to sink back against him, her body pressed lazily to his own. She rested her head on his shoulder, her face buried in the folds of his shirt. She sighed then in what sounded like a mix of exhaustion and relief. Bringing a hand up to her head, Jack brushed the mess of tendrils from her face, smoothing them back behind her ears. He ran his fingertips over her scalp, letting his fingers course soothingly through her hair.

"Are you okay?" he asked after a moment, neither having relinquished their tight hold on the other. He felt her nod against his shoulder, unwilling to lift her head up to look at him. Somehow, Jack knew that it was a lie, that she was far from okay. That the answer should have been obvious to him. But he just couldn't accept that she wasn't okay. He believed her because it was easy. Because he didn't want to think otherwise.

"Did they hurt you?" it was as if he was playing with fire, waiting for the burn that was sure to come. He couldn't help it. Everything inside of him told him that he had to ask and that he had to hear her answer, whether it was the truth or not, he needed to hear her say it.

He felt her shake her head against his shoulder, and where there should have been a sigh of relief, a feeling of something peaceful, there wasn't. There was nothing, because in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't real.

"They told me you were dead…" she said after a moment, voice shaking. Her voice was so tiny, so uncharacteristic to what he knew her to be and it pained him to think of what had done this to her.

"When?" he asked her curiously, trying to pull back to look at her properly, but pulling himself back again when he felt her fingers tighten possessively on his shoulders. Her thin frame was shaking within his arms, shivering from what he was certain wasn't the cold.

"Yesterday…" her reply was pained, the memory of it fresh. She had cried so hard when they had told her that. It had been as though the final stitch snapped and everything came unraveled.

"God, Jack…" she whimpered after a moment, voice giving way once again to the stinging tears in her eyes, "You were _dead_. For a whole day, you were dead to me…"

And as the tears fell again, soaking into Jack's battered shirt, he lightly rubbed her back, unsure of what else he could do, "Shhh," he soothed, voice cracked, "Its going to be okay…I'm going to find a way out of this…"

She pulled away from him then, a force about her actions as though she had been stung. Bitten by his words. She slithered hastily from his hold, scooting back along the floor so that several inches separated them, "Don't Jack…" her voice cracked, breaking as she spoke, "Just don't…"

"Kate-" Jack began, making a move to reach out to her, but hesitatingly when she sharply cut him off.

"Don't make promises you can't keep…" her voice broke, eyes watering. Even in the dark, when Jack could hardly see her, he could tell she was desperate. That she had that pleading look on her face, radiating in her emerald orbs.

"No, Kate, I mean it…We're going to make it out of here…" Jack insisted, unable to admit even for her pleading that he had no way of knowing that.

"I know you mean it Jack….just like you meant it coming after me. But they caught you," Kate didn't mean to sound accusing, didn't intend for that biting tone to take over her voice or for the bitterness to seep out into her words.

Her words stung Jack straight away, biting at his conscience. Yes, he knew they were in an impossible situation. And maybe somehow that was his fault. After all, he had let her walk off alone that night. He might as well have hand delivered her to them. But more than that, he hadn't even succeeded in coming after her. They had caught him. And now, they were in this together. And for that, he was entirely to blame. But was it his fault that there was no hope? That was something he couldn't begin to answer.

He was strangely silent for a long while, and the guilt began to eat away at Kate. It wasn't like him not to respond to something like that, not to have some little thing he could throw back at her. Jack had always been able to keep up with her words with the best of them, and Kate couldn't help but feel a heavy conscience at pushing him to silence now.

"I'm sorry…" she croaked after a moment, voice laden with tears. Jack couldn't help but notice that it was the calmest she had been since he had found her, "I know you tried. I just…this place…its driving me insane…"

Jack swallowed hard, gazing on at her with mixed emotion. He wanted to help her. He wanted to so bad that it hurt. But what could he do now? Because of him, they were in the same boat. They were both caught up in this mess with no visible way out.

"Don't be…" Jack assured her after a moment, sounding for the first time like he was defeated.

His words were met by silence and as the atmosphere of nothingness stretched on, Jack made a move to scoot back against the wall. He felt exhaustion beginning to take over his senses and somehow through it all, he felt that Kate needed her space. Leaning back, Jack tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling. It was painted a sickly white and oddly enough, Jack wasn't remotely surprised. This whole place was like some twisted horror film and Jack had the feeling that it was only beginning.

Letting himself relax, Jack sighed, clamping his eyes tightly shut as he rested his head against the cold concrete wall. He nearly jumped from surprise when he felt Kate move to sit beside him, the bare skin of her shoulder brushing over the fabric of his shirt. He turned his head towards her then, watching as she looked helplessly out into the distance, as though unaware that the cell walls blocked out a view of anything.

Kate scooted closer to him after a moment, pressing herself against his side. She leaned over, gently resting her head on his shoulder and nestling her face into the fabric of his shirt. Gazing down at her, partially amazed at her willingness to be so close to him, but thankful for it all the same, Jack disentangled his arm from her and gently draped it around her. He brought his arm over her shoulders, his fingers resting on her side. She snuggled closer to him then, and he let her, drawing her to him.

* * *

"Locke!" Sayid called, jogging over to the older man who sat along the edge of the jungle, resting on a log. He was casually peeling a mango with his hunting knife. 

The man looked up from what he was doing, his blue gray eyes meeting Sayid's gaze. He looked quizzically at Sayid, then greeted him, "Morning, Sayid," he said before turning back to the mango, cutting off another piece of skin with his knife and depositing it into the nearby bushes.

"We need to talk…" Sayid said hastily, out of breath.

"What about?" Locke asked curiously, gazing placidly at Sayid.

"Not here…" Sayid warned, bobbing his head to both sides to see who was close enough to hear them, "I don't want anyone to panic…"

Locke looked hesitant for a moment, as though weighing his options. He wondered what could have possibly happened that he and Sayid needed to discuss in private, but he nodded anyway and pulled himself up from where he sat. Tossing the half eaten mango aside, Locke buckled the knife back on his belt and followed Sayid passed the trees and out into the jungle.

When they were out of earshot of the caves, Sayid turned sharply around to face him, eyes alight with what Locke would have connected with panic or something like it.

"Jack's gone…" Sayid said after a moment, eyes blazing. He looked to Locke to gauge his reaction, but was surprised when the man's lips twisted into a half smile, chuckling. Angry at the reaction, Sayid pressed, "What is there to laugh at? Can't you see what this means?"

"I'm sorry Sayid," Locke voiced, calmly his laughter, "Its just that I can't see how this comes as a surprise to you."

"Should I have suspected that he would abandon us all? Our only doctor?" Sayid questioned, still finding it hard to believe that Jack could do that and not knowing how he should feel about it.

"Well he as good as told you he was going to," Locke pointed out, watching as Sayid's face fell. The man had known that already, he just didn't want to consider it.

"What are we going to do?" Sayid asked, sounding more hopeless than Locke had ever heard him sound, "He was the only doctor…"

"We'll manage," Locke said confidently, slightly amused when Sayid gazed back at him in disbelief.

"And if there's another accident like Boone's?" Sayid knew without even meeting the other man's eyes that he had struck a familiar chord. Boone's tragic death was an all too fresh wound for John Locke.

Locke was silent a moment, as though unable to speak. Swallowing hard, "Then we'll just have to make do," Sayid didn't miss the jump in Locke's voice or the wounded look that flashed briefly through his eyes, "We need a plan."

Now he was speaking what Sayid wanted to hear. He was thinking rationally now, Sayid mused, knowing that this was the place to start.

"And what do you suggest?" Sayid questioned, wanting to hear Locke's take on what needed to happen before he voiced his own.

"The hatch," Locke said simply, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world, "There's something about it, Sayid. We were meant to find it."

Sayid sighed, exasperated. The man couldn't be serious, could he? That out of all the problems they faced now, he considered the hatch their priority. As far as Sayid was concerned, that hatch had been buried beneath the ground for a long time and it wasn't going anywhere. It could wait.

"The hatch is the least of our worries!" Sayid argued, trying to make Locke see reason. With Jack gone, Sayid didn't want to take up the responsibilities of leadership alone. He had been counting on Locke to help him, but he could see now that that wouldn't be as easy of an arrangement as he had previously thought, "What we must concern ourselves with is these Others. We have no idea what they are capable of. They have already taken one of us. How long before they try for more? We can't just wait for them to strike. We can't remain vulnerable."

"Then what are you suggesting, Sayid?" Locke questioned, frustrated that Sayid was against exploring the hatch. In his eyes, it was the only logical answer and he was the only one that seemed to see that.

"We need to set up a system for guarding the perimeter of the caves. Kate was likely taken within sight of the caves. We can't afford for something like that to happen again. The perimeter guards should be stationed at the edge of the jungle at all times. We will need volunteers to take shifts," Sayid explained, eyes distant as he ran over his plans in his head.

"What are we going to tell them?" Locke questioned after a moment, gazing off into the trees. Sayid followed his line of sight and found that he was looking back at the caves.

"I don't know…" Sayid said with a sigh, looking off in the distance with a lost look in his eyes.

"They deserve to be told something…" Locke persisted, knowing how tempted Sayid was to ignore Jack's departure all together. That would be the easiest way, but not the best one, "And they'll find out before you know it anyway. Word travels fast."

"I know," Sayid admitted, that hopeless look still written clearly on his face, "But how can we tell them that Jack's gone? There will be chaos. How many of the survivors manage to go a single day without coming to Jack for some petty ailment?"

"It won't be easy…" Locke mused, the realization of exactly what this mean to all of them starting to dawn on him, "But they have to see that we have a plan. We have to let them know that its going to be okay."

* * *

Turning his head, Jack looked over at Kate. She sat beside him, body pressed snuggly against his as she rested her head against his shoulder. Gazing down at her, Jack could see the tiny glimmer that was her emerald eyes, shining in the dim line of light that came from the crack beneath the cell door. 

Her eyes were wide open, staring off into nothingness. It was that same distant look that she got when she would sit along the shore, staring endlessly out to the infinite horizon of water, waves lapping up around her feet. She looked distant, as though she had managed to pull herself out of this cell to hide in a faraway place. Though Jack couldn't begin to see if she had dark circles under her eyes, or any other signs of a lack of sleep, he had no doubt that they were there. He could tell by her voice, her demeanor. She was just as exhausted as he was, if not more so.

Reaching out with his spare hand, Jack tenderly brushed a stray curl from her face, pulling it securely behind her ear. Her eyes immediately flashed to him, snapping back to reality. He met her gaze then, as though trying to read her thoughts. He wish he knew what she had been through these past days, wished that he could somehow make that go away. It pained him, knowing that he couldn't.

"When's the last time you slept, Kate?" Jack broke the silence, watching as her eyes dropped out of his gaze.

She looked almost sheepish, avoiding his eyes, "I can't remember…" she admitted quietly, unable to look at him. It was the truth though. She couldn't remember the last time she had dozed off for more than a minute and it was taking a terrible toll on her body.

"Kate, you need to sleep…" Jack pressed, taken aback at the realization that she must be exhausted.

"I can't…" she said simply, sounding almost on the verge of tears. Jack wondered how she had gone from calm to this in a matter of seconds.

"Kate, you have to," Jack insisted, gripping her by the shoulders and turning her to look at him. She recoiled immediately, jerking herself out of his grip He had her attention all the same though, "Its not healthy to lose so much sleep."

"I told you, Jack…" Kate's voiced a broken whimper, no longer able to look him in the eye, "I _can't_…"

"Why?" Jack asked, only to be met by silence. When she made no move to answer him, Jack persisted, "Why, Kate? Let me help you…"

"You wouldn't understand…" her voice was laced with bitterness now, edged with a darkness that Jack had never heard there before.

"Let me try, Kate…" Jack insisted, unwilling to just let this go. He couldn't let her go on like this.

"Just let it go, Jack…there's nothing you can do…" the bitterness was ever present as her eyes darted away from his, looking at anything but him.

"No, Kate," Jack voiced a little more forcefully, "I'm not going to let you do this to yourself…"

When this was again met with no answer, Jack spoke up, "You can sleep, you know," he said softly, struck with the idea that she was probably afraid, "I'm not going anywhere…"

That struck a nerve. She broke down then, falling into a fit of tears. She jerked hastily away from him, scooting farther along the wall. Kate buried her face in her arms, sobbing to herself. Jack was taken aback at her actions, unsure of how to react.

"Kate, I didn't mean-" he began, but was immediately cut off.

"Don't leave me!" she croaked desperately, voice coming out in a strangled whisper as she sobbed, "Don't leave me alone again…"

Jack immediately scooted down until he was next to her again, pulling her into his arms as she cried. She buried her face in his chest, tears falling onto his shirt, "Shhh, he soothed her, rubbing small circles on her back, "Its okay…I'm not going anywhere. You're not going to be alone anymore…"

He held her that way for a long while, hardly noticing as the minutes passed by. After some time had passed, he began to ease her down onto the floor, laying her head back against the cold cement. Jack moved to lay down beside her, pulling his arms out from underneath her. Tearful eyes gazed up at him, looking hopeless and desperate.

"Just try to get some sleep, Kate," Jack said softly, his face only inches from her as he lay beside her on the floor. He could feel her breath tickle his face, "That's all I ask…"

She nodded meekly, her eyes falling away from his to gaze at the floor. Jack continued to watch her, meaning what he had said. He would be here. He would take care of her. Despite her relaxed position, she looked completely restless, and Jack felt frustration at this fact.

"Jack?" she spoke his name weakly, voice tired. His eyes darted immediately to her to find her looking back at him.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, never breaking his gaze away from hers.

"Hold me…" she whispered quietly, voice so inaudible that Jack barely caught it. He met her eyes, saw the need here, the utter desperation and he nodded.

Without a word he stretched his arms out and pulled her to him. She fell snuggly into the circle of his arms, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Jack set his chin atop her head, pressing his face down to rest in her hair. He shivered noticeably when her hands went around his sides, gripping at his shirt, as though trying to pull him closer to her still. It was like this that each of them drifted off into a deep sleep, the best rest that either had gotten for over a week.

* * *

**  
A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? I always enjoy hearing from you, so constructive criticism and honest opinions are always encouraged. Please don't forget to review! Hopefully I'll have another update up soon. I'm really excited about upcoming plots, so I'm sure that there will be several quick updates over the next few weeks. 


	11. Only The Beginning

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I got a lot of questions in reviews for last chapter, so since most of them were from anonymous reviewers that I couldn't respond to, I thought I'd take the time to answer them now. The main thing that seemed to be a point of confusion was with the Others. To start off here, I have to admit that I kinda intended for you guys to be a little confused and in the dark about the Others in my fic. I promise, I've got a plan for them and it'll all come together by the end of the sequel.

Also, the main thing is that the Others in my fic **are not** intended to be the ones from the show. I came up with the idea for what I was going to do with them early on in season 2, so I really had no idea where the show was going with it. So yes, they are very different from the show, so don't expect them to be the same.

Anyway, thanks for reading my fic and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. I really hope I cleared up some of the confusion!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it…

* * *

**  
All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 10: Only The Beginning**

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**

Kate had never been fond of darkness. There was that endless quality to it, the infinite expanse of nothing. It had always bothered Kate, though she never knew a real reason why. When she would lay in bed at night as a little girl, Kate would always leave her bedroom door open just a crack so that the light from the hall would leak in. She just couldn't stand the pitch blackness.

If she reasoned with herself, took a moment to really rationalize her thoughts, then she would admit that somehow, she was afraid of the darkness. _He_ had come for her in the darkness. The man with the beard. DeGroot. The name felt like a burn, searing her from within. It had always been dark in the cell when he came for her. And then the light. There was always the light. When the door to the cell would slide open with a menacing creak, a blinding mass of whiteness would take hold of the room, blasting the cement walls with splashes of light. But it was always dark where he took her. Where he _hurt _her.

Everyday, the lights would go out in the cell and Kate's body would fall into a never ending fit of shivers. Even now, as she lay securely in the circle of Jack's arms, his warm breath tickling her neck, she shook ever so slightly in fear. Because after the darkness _he_ always came.

And as the name passed through her mind, inwardly torturing her, taunting her, Kate could grasp only one thought. Jack could never know. No matter what happened to them, or what happened to _her_, Kate could never put him through that. _And what would he think if he knew, Katherine_, a part of her goaded. And the ever present part of her, the part that left her feeling degraded and alone, was where her answer came from. He would be disgusted. Betrayed. And then he would know her for what she was. For what she _really_ was. And he would regret what he had sacrificed to come after her.

Shifting uncomfortably in his embrace, Kate shook away such thoughts, unable to face the reality of it just now. It wasn't fair and she knew it. And she couldn't take it. Not now when she was so close to having what she wanted more than anything. What she had somehow come to _need_. She had always told herself that she would never need a man. That had been her mother's way, and it had been her burden. But when she looked at Jack, Kate didn't see a burden. She didn't see some terrible mistake that somewhere in the back of her mind she was sure she was making. She saw what she wanted. She saw a chance at redemption.

Glancing up to the ceiling, Kate could hardly make out the outline of the single light fixture that hung sloppily from its backing. From seeing it in the light, Kate knew that it was nothing but a mess of wires with a battered and scratched bulb in the center. It was a miracle that the thing even worked, she mused. But she found herself more than thankful that it did.

Over the past eternity that Kate been held at the mercy of these people, stuck within the overpowering walls of this cell, time had ceased to exist. Though it came and passed, she was sure of that, she had no way of keeping track of it, no way of _keeping_ it. It was like with every passing second, time slipped casually through her fingers with her unable to grasp it.

As worthless as it seemed, there was only one constant for Kate in this prison and that was the light. It came and went, and to someone who hadn't spent as much time in the cell as Kate had, it would probably appear to be on a random schedule. But Kate knew better. She knew that like the sun that she hadn't seen in days, the light came like daylight and vanished like a lightning quick sunset.

The light was her time. It was her day and night, her only sense of reason. It wasn't much to depend on, but it was all that she had had for days on end. And it was enough to rely on. It had got her by longer than she had ever believed possible.

**

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**

It was nearly noon at the caves, the sun having traveled to the center of the sky as Sawyer's eyes first started to flutter open, lashes brushing against his dimpled cheeks. His eyelids felt heavy, as though they were weighted down. He shifted where he lay, unable to open his eyes for the pain. He had a splitting headache, like nothing he had ever had.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, pushing passed the agony he was in, Sawyer could hear a commotion. Groaning, Sawyer forced his eyes open, blinking rapidly and painfully as the light of the caves hit him full on. His body jerked, and it was then that he felt the sting of the bullet wound pull at him, forcing him back like a ton of bricks.

"Lay back," came a none too soft command from somewhere nearby. Sawyer thought he recognized the voice, but couldn't quite place it. His vision was coming to him in a haze, and all he could see was a blurry form sitting over him, looking him over, "Don't try moving."

As his mind began to clear, it took several seconds for the fog to clear. Shaking his head and then wincing from the pain of this movement, Sawyer realized for the first time where he was. He was at the caves, laying on a cot with an airline issue blanket wrapped up for a pillow stuffed behind his aching head.

Glancing to his right, Sawyer knew straight away who the familiar voice had belonged to. He saw Ana Lucia lounging beside his cot on a pile of luggage and airline cushions, watching him with curiosity. Opening his mouth to speak, shocked at seeing her sitting over him like that, Sun immediately stepped forward, moving between them. She had a wet cloth in hand and she reached forward, gently applying it to Sawyer's head.

Reaching a hand up, Sawyer stroked the side of his face and felt that it was dripping with sweat. His hair dangled down in his eyes, sticking to the side of his face from the heat. Pulling his hand away in disgust, the reality of the situation began to sink in for Sawyer. He was back at the caves, the last place he had ever expected to live to see again, and he was healing up in the medical cave. But Jack was nowhere in sight.

"Now this just don't add up…" Sawyer drawled lazily, voice shaking slightly, "I've got Tokyo Rose and Rambina playing nurse and the good doctor ain't nowhere in sight…"

Neither Sun or Ana responded to him in any way, just kept tending to him. Sun had moved quickly away in search of antibiotics and Ana still sat beside him, silently applying the wet cloth to his head. Before long, Sun returned with another cloth and a bottle of peroxide. She sat the items aside and leaned over Sawyer. With gentle hands, she began pulling off the gauze that Jack had wrapped his shoulder in. It was saturated with dried blood and needed to be changed. Sawyer gritted his teeth as she pulled off the final bit of surgical tape.

"How are you feeling?" Sun asked quietly, eyes darting away from Sawyer's hard stare.

"Oh, I'm just dandy!" Sawyer all but yelled, rolling his eyes in frustration and waving his hands for emphasis. He winced when his shoulder stung in pain, the bandage no longer supporting the open wound, "I only got a hole the size of a damn nickel in my shoulder!"

"Sounds just fine to me," Ana muttered as Sun hesitated for a moment, not used to anyone speaking to her like that. Though she had seen the southerner pester just about everyone on the island, he had never directed his fun at her before.

Ana reached for the bottle of peroxide that Sun had left sitting by the cot and poured it hastily over the cloth. Without giving the man a warning, She reached out and stuck the soaked cloth none too gently onto the open wound. Sawyer hissed in pain, letting out a loud yelp. His body jerked, sending him into further agony as the sting of the peroxide continued to bite at his shoulder.

"Ah!" he howled, clutching painfully at his arm, his eyes glazing over, "Take it easy there, Sweet Cheeks!"

Ana paused momentarily to flash him a wicked half smile, mockingly raising an eyebrow at him. She pulled away the cloth just as Sun returned with a fresh bandage and a roll of surgical tape from Jack's stash of medical supplies. She wasted no time in pressing the fresh gauze over Sawyer's shoulder, spreading it out over the wound. He winced at the pressure she applied as she lightly dabbed the padding with her hand, pressing it firmly down. Reaching for the tape, Sun further secured the bandage by sealing it down with the tape. Sawyer groaned in pain.

It took him several long moments of writhing in pain and drawing in deep, ragged breaths of air before the biting sting faded away, melting into a dull ache. He was breathing hard, sweat pouring down his face. Glancing around the room, his eyes falling at both women, curiosity tugged mercilessly at Sawyer's mind.

"Where the hell _is_ Dr. Do-Right?" Sawyer's voice came out in a drawl that cracked with exhaustion, but the usual sarcasm was ever present, "Thought for sure he'd be here lookin' after me like a damn mother hen…"

The question had been innocent enough. Up until this point, Sawyer had only considered Jack's lack of attendance as some fluke, sure that the good doctor had only stepped out for a moment. Hell, he was probably out gallivanting around in the jungle with Kate for all Sawyer knew. But whatever he had been expecting, the answer he got didn't come close.

"Jack's gone…" Sawyer could detect a bitter tone in her voice and he immediately felt his sense of curiosity soar to an all time high. Shock, however, was the more dominant emotion.

"Come again?" he asked, momentarily unsure that he had heard her correctly. Though her words could be interpreted in a number of ways, Sawyer could tell by the tone of her voice just what she was implying.

"He left out night before last," she explained, eyes dropping to the floor as she spoke, "Went out looking for some girl _they_ took…"

"They?" Sawyer questioned, unable to wrap his mind around who or what she was talking about.

"_Them_. The Others," there was a sense of finality to her words, a firmness to be sure. Her voice was laced with the bitterness that Sawyer had come to expect from his time with her on the other side of the island.

"Which lucky lady drew the short straw?" Sawyer asked jokingly. Ana shot him a look of utter disgust, though she hardly looked surprised at his behavior.

"He said her name was Kate," Ana almost spat the name, as if it were a curse. Though she hardly blamed the woman that she didn't know, it still stung her that Jack was likely never coming back alive because of her.

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. It felt as though the very foundation that he had held firmly to since the plane crash was falling down around him, breaking into a million tiny pieces. She had to be wrong. It _couldn't_ be Kate. Not the Kate he knew. The Kate he _loved. _But then he reasoned, _Who the hell else would the doc go running off after?_

"_Freckles_?" He asked incredulously, blue eyes wide and gaping at her as though she had grown an extra limb. His voice shook noticeably more than it had when he had been in pain from his bandages being removed. It was laced with something that made her feel completely uncertain. Fear.

"If that's what you call her…" He had known what her answer would be before he had even asked. But he couldn't leave it unsaid. He had to be sure, and now that he was he didn't know what to think. He couldn't imagine what to feel.

**

* * *

**

There was an idle hum that came from above as the rickety old lighting system that was hanging from the ceiling of the cell came to life. It clicked noisily on, the light suddenly flooding over the cell, white washing the walls in a fraction of a second. Jack jerked awake the instant the noise hit his ears, mind thrown into a rush of panic.

He felt Kate tug out of his grasp, jumping away from him as though she had been burned. Momentarily blinded by the sudden appearance of the light, Jack rubbed his eyes, squinting to find her. He saw her hunched in the far corner, her face buried in the wall. She came first as a blur, just as everything else in the room did as his eyes tried to adjust.

"Kate…" he called out tentatively, almost in question. Her flight from him had been as unexpected as the sudden appearance of the light and Jack found that his mind was in a whirl of confusion as he took it all in.

He rose shakily to his feet and began making his way over her, stumbling as he went.

"Kate, what-" he began just as he had almost reached her, but was sharply cut off.

"Don't, Jack," her voice shook, edged with a bitterness that hadn't been there before, "Please…"

Jack found himself even more lost in all of this. He didn't know what he was doing that she wanted him to stop so badly. He didn't know what had shook her up like this or why she was shivering so violently, unwilling to turn around and look at him.

It was then that he heard her softly crying, voice muffled as she buried it away in the corner. Everything about her stance signified that she was trying to run, trying to just hide from him if that was all she could do. It tore him up to think that she needed to get away from him that badly just now.

And as her shoulders heaved, her cries turning into tiny, quieted sobs, Jack didn't care how much she wanted to be alone. He didn't care that her need to run was kicking in, or that she was trying to hide herself away. He quickly closed the gap between them, reaching out to place a gentle hand on her arm.

She flinched as though she had been burned and immediately tried to pull away. But Jack gave her no such option. He tightened his grip on her, unwilling to let her run from this.

"Kate…" he pressed, voice as soft and calm as he could make it. It starkly contrasted the mix of emotions he was feeling inside, "Look at me…"

She gave him a mumbled reply that he could hardly make out, but he knew that she had said no. That she was refusing even to look at him.

"Look at me…" his voice was more forceful this time, though soft just the same. When she didn't respond to him, but kept her distance, trying to press herself further into the corner, Jack moved the hand that was on her shoulder to touch her face. Cupping her cheek, Jack turned her to face him.

He was met by horror stricken eyes as she hastily recoiled from his touch, noticeably flinching. She stumbled back, falling into the corner she had been trying to hide in. Her shaking had become more violent, the tears now streaming visibly down her face, falling from her haunted green eyes.

It was then that he took it all in, seeing her fully in the light for the first time. He drew in a sharp breath, completely blown out of the water by what he saw. She was a mess. His heart pounded wildly within his chest, pulse soaring as he took in her shivering form, watching as her broken body was wracked with sobs.

Her clothes were torn and dirty, placed hastily over her body. Her arms were riddled with scratches, some of them deep enough to need stitches. The bruising was everywhere, honeycombed over her entire body. On her face she sported a yellowing black eye, still swollen for lack of attention. And the dried blood. It was everywhere. He couldn't imagine how he had missed it all before, even in the pitch black.

She was gazing shakily back at him like a deer caught in the headlights, her entire body shivering in fear. He could feel a look of disbelief spread across his face as he gazed back at her, fighting hard to hold her eyes. He let his hand drop from her face then, let her hunch back farther into the corner, pulling herself away from him as she fought to hide what he had already seen.

And before he could say a word, react verbally in any way, her quiet, broken voice split the air, cutting the tension like a knife.

"P-please, J-Jack…" her voice was desperate as she pleaded with him, staring back up at him with the most horror stricken eyes that Jack had ever seen, "D-don't let them take me…"

It was as though something within him snapped. Her words had set a fire within him, an anger welling up inside of him like he had never felt before. It washed over his face, spreading like wildfire as it radiated in his blazing eyes. Turning sharply around, Jack stood to his feet and hit the wall with a balled fist, yelling in frustration. Yelling again, cursing under his breath he kicked furiously at the wall, slamming himself against it in complete and utter despair. He felt a pain soaring up his leg, splintering up from his foot, but he couldn't have cared less. His hand throbbed in a stinging pain from having hit the wall, but it didn't matter at all to him just then.

Breathing hard, Jack felt himself lose all balance and all frame of mind. He fell against the wall, using it to brace himself from falling. He pressed his forehead against the cold cement, feeling it as its rough surface sent chills down his spine. Clamping his eyes tightly closed, Jack let his mind drift, panting as he let it all out.

He felt the tears stinging his eyelids, letting it all sink in. And then came the blame, the guilt that was always there. What he saw now, what had happened to her, it was all on him. He had _let_ them take her. He hadn't been fast enough to find her. Hadn't worked well enough to stop this.

In his heart, he knew it was because he just hadn't tried hard enough. He could've prevented all of this, all that she had been through if he had truly done all that he could. And to top it all off, what good was he to her now? Captured, imprisoned in the same cell as her. In the same hopeless situation, unable to get her out.

As he quieted down, simply bracing himself against the wall, unable to look at her, Jack could hear her. He heard her sobs, no longer soft or quiet as she fell into a complete break down. Any strength he thought that he still had, any notion he had of being brave through this just melted around him then, crumbling like sand.

And then he heard her voice, tearing into him as she spoke, "Don't let them take me, Jack…" she cried as she spoke, sobbing uncontrollably, "Don't let them take me again…"

Eyes fluttering open as he continued to face the wall, leaning fully against it, Jack pulled away. Clamping his eyes briefly shut, as if to somehow regain his composure that was long lost, he turned to face her, eyes washed over with a pained regret.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from her then, couldn't pull away from the look of pained distress in her eyes or the shivering mess she was in. He watched as she bit her lip, gaze wavering as she continued to sob. And he wanted to go to her, hold her, comfort her somehow. He wanted to tell her that it was alright, that the anger she had seen wasn't meant for her. But he couldn't move an inch, finding himself frozen where he stood just watching her with wide eyes.

And suddenly the only words she had spoken to him since the lights had come on made sense, ringing clear in his mind. He heard a cracking noise, a light static sounding form somewhere nearby. Glancing up to his right, he saw that the noise was coming from an intercom type device, a sort of speaker that was attached by a mess of wires to the ceiling.

It all became clear when a shuffling from just outside the door met his ears, and then a turning of the mechanisms in the lock. The creaking sound of the large metal door being pushed open was soon to follow and Jack found himself clicking immediately into action. He moved forward towards Kate, launching himself in front of her. The words she had voiced so pleadingly to him rang clear in his mind, biting at him like a mantra. _Don't let them take me, Jack_. And he wouldn't. Not even if it cost him his life.

**

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**

"So, you never did say what it is you want," Sawyer spoke up after what seemed like an eternity of silence. Sun had left the caves with Ana promising to watch over the southerner. He had slept for about an hour until just now.

"What makes you think I want anything?" Ana's response wasn't voiced innocently, nor was it meant to be.

"I just didn't figure you for the nurse type," Sawyer explained with a crooked grin, blue eyes twinkling from behind the strands of dirty blonde hair that hung down in his face. When she didn't respond, just stared at him with a feigned blank look, he pressed on, "So tell me chica, just what is it you're after? Who knows, I might be feeling generous."

"I told you, I don't want anything," she responded gruffly, folding her arms stubbornly over her chest and flashing him a glare that would silence most men. But not Sawyer.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" his voice was rougher this time, the faintest edge of bitterness flashing across his face. He hid it with that same old half smile and a raised eyebrow.

"I'm giving the Korean lady a hand. She's got better things to do than listen to you gripe and moan all day," Ana explained harshly, gazing at him with an almost victorious stare. He scoffed at that, "Besides, someone's gotta make sure you don't die on us…"

"Since when do you care what happens to me?" Sawyer questioned half smugly, half bitterly. It was hard to tell if he was amused or insulted, "Last I checked, you were rootin' t' leave me out in the big bad jungle."

"And you know what? If it had been up to me, you _would_ be out in the big bad jungle," now her voice seemed course with a kind of anger. Sawyer seemed satisfied at having ruffled her even the slightest bit.

"Then why bother with fixin' me now, eh Cupcake?" he all but snarled, feeling burned at her admittance that she would have left him. He had known it all along, and had even been amused at getting her all worked up by it, but in the end it still stung.

"I'm not doing it for you, Genius," she bit back sharply, voice gruff as she glared daggers at him, "I'm doing it for Cindy and I'm doing it for Jack."

"Cindy?" he questioned, unsure of what the hell she was getting at. Though curiosity at her mention of Jack was biting away at him, he brushed that aside for later. First things first, "Who the hell is Cindy?"

She laughed at that, a cold and bitter laugh. She shook her head at him in what he could've sworn was disbelief, halfway rolling her eyes.

"Just an innocent woman who's dead because of you," she responded bitterly, glaring dangerously at him. When he looked on at her with suddenly wide, attentive eyes, she decided to take advantage of this rare opportunity to get through to him, "We cut through the jungle just to get you back here sooner. Halfway in, they took her."

"And how the hell is that my fault?" he was looking spitefully at her now, nearly yelling at her as he spoke.

"We should've left you behind, like I said. We traded her life for yours…" she looked all too bitter now, and Sawyer couldn't stand it. He couldn't take that there was another person hating him without just cause.

"So then, if you hate me so much, then why are you so hell bent on fixin' me?" that was the last bit that still didn't make sense. She had explained Cindy, and if he hadn't been so set on hating her just then, he might have understood. But he still couldn't figure out why she wanted him to heal, to get better.

"Because saving your sorry ass is the only thing I've got left to do for Cindy," her words stung, and Sawyer could feel the bitterness dripping from her words, lashing out at him.

"What about the Doc?" he questioned, staring her down and ignoring her last statement. He wasn't willing to back down to her like he knew she was expecting him to. She wasn't going to throw any rocks at him now, "Why is savin' me gonna do him any good?"

"Because you were the only thing keeping him from going out after Kate in the first place," Ana snarled, looking dangerously at him, "When we dragged you in half dead, he thought it'd be on him if he left and you died."

There was silence then. A long and looming silence reigning over them. It was laced with a tension so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Neither would look at the other anymore, both too angry to face up to it. Both of their minds were on someone dear to them, someone that the Others had taken away. But neither would ever want to admit to that.

**

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**

Jack watched with wide, fearful eyes as three of them filed into the room, slamming the large metal door behind them as they came. They were young, bearing the same appearance as the men that had captured Jack back at the wall. They slinked through the door almost shyly, as though they were hesitant.

Meeting their eyes, Jack inched boldly to stand in front of Kate, backing her into the corner behind them. He felt a shaky hand reach up from the floor to grip his as he loomed over her, blocking them from getting to her. Glancing down at her for a split second, he saw her wide green eyes staring fearfully back at him, lips shivering as her entire body trembled. When he turned away, he felt her shakily lace her fingers through his, her arm still stretching out to him from where she sat hunched on the floor. He felt his heart race with adrenalin when he heard whisper his name, her voice barely audible even in the tense silence of the room.

Jack watched as the group of young men glanced warily at one another, as though each of them were unsure of how to react. Looking at them now, and remembering the young man with the clear blue eyes that he had seen on the wall, Jack found it hard to imagine that these men had done this to Kate. But the anger within him still boiled for them, the rage still burning at them for her.

The one that stood towards the center looked to be a in his thirties, a good deal older than the other two. He had a stumbled blonde beard and mop of sandy yellow hair. He might've looked a bit like Sawyer, if not for the softness to his features, and the deep green of his eyes. Like the other two, and the ones from the wall that had captured Jack, he wore loose, battered clothing. He took a step forward, moving towards Jack.

Clenching his teeth, Jack maintained his menacing look. The look that said he had a plan and that he would fight. He knew that it was working, but he didn't know how far they would press it. The man raised a large stick he had been holding in his hands and held it up as if to warn Jack.

"Move," the command came firmly, lacking all of the sharp and menacing edge that Jack had been expecting. The man's emerald eyes shimmered as he spoke, as though begging Jack to just listen. But Jack had no such intention.

"No," Jack insisted, shifting his feet to better hold his ground. He gave Kate's hand a reassuring squeeze, glancing briefly down to the floor where she sat. She had her entire body forced back against the wall, visibly shaking.

"_Please__move_," the man's voice held a more desperate tone this time and Jack watched as he gripped the stick more tightly. His eyes shone as though in deep consideration of how to handle the situation.

"No!" Jack refused to back down, shaking his head as he fought down the rage that was flowing like wildfire through his veins, "I won't let you hurt her…"

"Just move away…" the man pressed, his eyes all but begging Jack to step aside as he shot a glance at Kate's shivering form, "We have no intention of hurting her-"

"Look at her!" Jack yelled, cutting the man off before he could continue with what Jack knew was a lie. His eyes blazed with a fury like he had never known, "Look at what you've already done! I _won't_ let you do it again!"

"I don't want to hurt you…" the man warned, taking another step towards Jack and gripping his long stick tightly, "But I will, if you don't _move_…"

"Then I guess you're gonna have to hurt me," Jack met the man's gaze firmly. Bravely. Letting him know that he wasn't going to back down without a fight. He glared daggers at him, "Because I'm not moving."

Behind him, Jack could feel Kate shifting uncomfortably, her once soft crying becoming a fit of sobs. She was broken and frightened. More scared than Jack had ever seen her and he couldn't stand it. She had always put on the strong face in front of him, never showing any signs of the weaknesses he knew were there, masked behind her brave act. But it all came flooding out now, and Jack wished more than anything that he could make it all disappear.

The man raised his stick and Jack braced himself, knowing that from how much he already ached, this wasn't going to be pleasant. As if for further insurance, he pressed himself back against Kate, forcing her as far back into the safety of the corner that she could go. She still gripped tightly at his arm, her fingers interlaced with his own.

To Jack's surprise, the blow never came. Looking back up at the man, Jack met his emerald stare, the man's eyes shining with an emotion that Jack couldn't quite place. It was almost like pity.

"Take me instead…" Jack said after a moment, swallowing hard as his eyes bore down on the other man, drifting across the room to fall on the other two young men in turn.

"Can't…" the man said with a shrug, his gaze coming down hard on Jack, "It ain't up to me. It's up to _him_. _He_ has to decide."

"I won't let you hurt her…" Jack insisted, shaking his head with tearing eyes. There was a calmness about him that registered a look of surprise from the other man.

In that moment, it was as though a sudden realization dawned on the man. Like he knew something now that he hadn't before. Something was sinking in beneath the man's gaze, a kind of understanding. And Jack didn't dare to hope that this understanding was a good one.

With a brief moment of hesitation, the man shot Jack a warning look before turning around to face the other two men behind him. They looked bewildered by what had just gone on, a look of pure confusion written clearly in their faces. They looked to their commander in question, and he simply nodded at them.

"Move out," he said firmly, nodding his head to the boys. The looked curiously at him for a moment, as though questioning his order. Their hesitation lasted for only a moment before they jumped to obey, moving quickly to open the door once more.

Jack watched as they stepped at the door, talking hurriedly in hushed whispers. He couldn't catch a single word that they said, but noted that each of them held a questioning, almost fearful tone. Something hadn't gone right, Jack knew. Something that he had done, the way that he had acted, hadn't been accounted for.

Almost afraid to hope that the encounter was over, too afraid to think of success, Jack allowed himself to sink slowly to the floor, moving to sit beside Kate's hunched form. Sliding himself along the wall, Jack gently eased his arms around her trembling frame, grimacing at the way she shook in his arms.

The brief feelings of comfort that washed over him lasted for what only seemed like a few moments. Before he had even opened his mouth to speak to her, to say something, anything to drive away her tears, there was again a shuffling outside the door.

In that moment she jerked around in his arms, swiftly turning herself to face him. Their eyes met in those brief few seconds, and the fear that was dimly lit in her pale green eyes was enough to stir him into any action needed to keep her safe. Her lips shivered then, her entire body trembling with as force.

"Jack…" her voice came in half of a whisper, barely audible. And in that second the large metal door was swung open with force, a new set of men marching through the door. Jack knew right away that this time they wouldn't be so lucky.

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**  
A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? If you're confused by anything I show about the Others, feel free to ask me anything and I'll do my best to clear things up. I really enjoy getting your feedback, so please don't forget to review! I'm going to try and get another chapter up soon, hopefully later this week, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for reading! 


	12. The Unexpected

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! I'm afraid the updates might be slowing down a little bit for the next few weeks due to the fact that I have to get started on summer reading for my AP class for next year. I'm not really sure if my writing is going to be affected by that or not, but its possible I won't be able to work on it as often. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you guys like the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it…

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**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 11: The Unexpected**

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There was no time to register what was happening, or even to breath, as Jack was lifted up from the ground suddenly and slammed with a deafening force against the cement wall to the side of him. Pain coursed through his body like a giant wave, zigzagging over his entire being. He groaned in that split second after his body made impact with the wall, that single moment before all hell broke loose.

In the back of his mind, he heard Kate scream, voice coming out in a ragged shriek. She had called his name, shouting somehow for them to stop. Their only response to her cries was to lunge at Jack once more, throwing him to the side like a broken rag doll. He came crashing down onto the cold cement floor, head sliding with an unbearable force into the opposite wall, dizzying his already disoriented vision.

They were on him again in an instant, this time coming as a forceful kick to his ribs, then another into his gut as he rolled onto his side, writhing in pain. He gasped, choking on his own breath as he fought to draw in air. He coughed, wheezing painfully as they continued to force him farther against the wall with blow after blow.

Through it all, Jack could hear her screaming. He could hear the agony in her voice, the terror stricken shrieks all there. And for a moment, Jack wondered if they were hurting her somehow. He couldn't see her just now, but after a moment he realized that she was only crying for him, watching in horror as they beat him without mercy.

Without warning, Jack was jerked up by the neck of his battered white shirt, his feet lifted momentarily off the ground to dangle in the air as he was once again shoved roughly against the harsh cement wall behind him. He caught his breath just as he felt his feet touch the floor, unable to balance himself as he was held firmly in place by one of the two men.

Jack blinked his eyes furiously, trying to clear his vision but was met instead by unexpected punch to his lower stomach, and then another just as fast to his side. His chest heaved, stomach lurching as he was punched again and again, the blows seemingly never ending.

And then it all stopped. It was as though a sudden roll of silence had washed over the room. Jack waited a few moments, breathing hard as his vision slowly began to clear and he could breath again. He could see clearly the man that had held him to the wall, and his partner that had hit him while he was restrained. He saw Kate sitting in the far corner of the room, shoulders heaved in front of her as she sobbed uncontrollably, unable to tear her eyes from his broken form.

The torn sounds of her whimpering and cries never left his ears as his eyes fell on the final figure in the room. The one he was only now noticing. It was a man who appeared to be somewhere in his late forties to early fifties. He had a short cropped beard and a scruffy looking tumble of fiery red curls. His face was washed over with a splash of freckles, what appeared to be once pale skin was lightly tanned from time spent in the sun.

There was the smallest of smiles playing at the corner of his bearded mouth, his whiskers tickling his chin as he let out a low chuckle, "Let him down, Tom," he ordered to the stalky man that held Jack effortlessly against the cold cement wall.

Without a word, the man called Tom loosened his grip on the collar of Jack's shirt, letting him fall harshly to the floor. Jack groaned loudly as a stinging pain coursed through him upon impact, his other aches now resurfacing with a vengeance.

The man that Jack knew now was obviously in charge took a slow, almost cocky step forward, moving to stand in front of Jack. Bending down, he put himself at eye level with Jack, his forest green eyes gazing menacingly back at him, tearing through his falsely friendly smile. Jack watched in disgust as the man's lips twisted further into a grin, that demented smile stretching farther along his face.

"Well now, Jack, you didn't think you could keep her from me, did you?" his voice was gruff, the only smoothness coming from his educated tone. His green eyes sparkled with a sick amusement as he gazed thoughtlessly at Jack, that same old grin never faltering. At the look on Jack's face, the man laughed.

"Let this serve as a reminder, Jack," he stepped closer, his breath now falling on Jack's face. It smelled of strong whisky and cheap cigars, "We aren't at your little caves. _I_ am in control now, Jack. Anything I do, anything I choose for her, you have no say in it."

Jack was silent, listening as the man's voice grew deadly quiet. The man took a step back, snapping his fingers and motioning to the man called Tom and the other that Jack didn't know. Tom stepped forward first, nailing Jack hard in the face with a clenched fist. Another blow caught Jack harshly in the face. Again Kate's screams as she pleaded for all of it to just stop met Jack's ears, and for that moment he drifted away from the pain of it all and all he longed for were for her screams to stop.

Almost inaudibly came another snap of the man's fingers and again without a word Tom stepped away from Jack, popping his knuckles gruffly as he shuffled away.

"Are we clear now, Jack?" the man asked, voice as harsh as the now painful rays of light streaming down upon Jack from the ceiling with an unnatural brightness and intensity, "Or do I need to drive the point further?"

Before Jack could think to respond in anyway, even just to mock the man, he watched as a look of utter annoyance fell over the man's face. He watched as the man turned away from him, and Jack strained himself to follow the man's gaze when to his horror, his eyes fell on Kate. She was sobbing uncontrollably now, crying harder than she had been before. Her entire body was shaking as she slowly rocked herself back and forth, her knees brought defensively up to her chest.

"Quiet her, Tom," the order hit Jack harder than any of Tom's blows had. Suddenly, it was as if time stood still, like everything was in slow motion. He saw the look of amused understanding cross Tom's face, and the irritation burning deep within the leader's forest green eyes. And suddenly it was as though Jack was in another place. Another time. A distant memory as a boy flashing through his vision in that split second.

_"It's your choice man, walk away now and you won't get your ass kicked…" _ The bully's words still rang clear in Jack's mind, the warning in them obvious, but more visible still was the choice behind them.

But more than anything about that day, more than the bully and more than the stinging ache of the black eye Jack had gotten, was the look on Mark's face as the other boys pummeled him. The desperate way he had gazed at Jack for that split second in time, silently pleading with him for help.

Jack saw that same look now as Kate's eyes flashed over to his own, meeting his gaze with such a fierce intensity. There was a look of utter horror beneath her gaze, and whether she knew it or not, her eyes begged him for deliverance even though every fiber of Jack's being knew that this was something Kate would never ask of him.

He made his choice then as time suddenly came flooding back to him at full speed. He was on his feet with such a strength that he hardly knew he had, the pain rushing through his limbs and body meaningless to him as he ran at the man.

"No!" he heard the strangled cry, and it was only moments later that he realized it was his own voice that had uttered it.

_"You should've stayed down, Jack…"_ The final words that the bully had spoken to him played over in Jack's head, just as everything came to a sudden halt.

Just before Jack could reach Tom, a hand came seemingly out of nowhere, gripping tightly to the back of his shirt. A phantom force jerked him back, throwing him down to the floor as he slid back the way he came. It was as he hit the floor that Tom reached Kate, wordlessly backhanding her across the cheek. She cried out, voice hoarse from crying and then toned down to a tiny whimper.

Jack tried to jerk back to his feet but was forced down as the other man in the room, now accompanied by Tom threw him back down, kicking him hard in the ribs. Another swift kick caught him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him so that he could hardly breath. He felt the pain of all the old blow resurfacing with a vengeance.

As the two men stepped away from him, Jack lay in an exhausted heap on the floor, body curled on his side. He knew that he couldn't have moved or tried to fight back again in any way at that time, even if he had wanted to.

"You weren't listening, Jack!" the man, the one that appeared to be the leader was suddenly in Jack's face again, eyes blazing with anger. He showed no sign of caring that Jack was fighting for air, drawing in hard, ragged breaths as he struggled to make his eyes focus, "That seems to be a common habit of yours. Don't think I've forgotten about Walt. Don't think I've forgotten the instructions you were left with concerning the boy. That will be dealt with soon enough."

Jack watched distantly, mind in a haze as the man turned away from him to look to the other two men in the room. Snapping his fingers, the man nodded towards Kate, "Take the girl. We'll deal with him later."

He was hardly aware as the two men roughly grabbed at Kate, pulling her up by her arms to stand. She stumbled, only to receive a sharp blow to the face from Tom, her jerked her none too gently back to her feet. She fought them only for a moment, screaming at them, almost sobbing as they pulled her away.

Her eyes met Jack's then, that same desperate plea there, begging him to get up. To be okay. Her eyes were red from crying with no more tears left to fall. The look she gave him then was one of guilt, of worry as she watched him laying there, unmoving. Deathly still. He drew in a sharp breath then, a sign of life for her. She clamped her eyes shut then, as though overcome by it all, at seeing him this way.

The look only lasted a moment, but to Jack it was an eternity. It was a look that would never leave his mind. A vision he would carry with him until the day he died. It was so haunted, so defeated as though overcome with guilt and pain. And if anything, out of all that had just happened, it was that look alone that broke him. That made him lie still and cooperate. Because they had _her_. What they had just done to him, they could just as easily have done to her. The man had as much as said so, warning Jack that she was under his control.

Jack still lay there, unmoving on the cold cement floor as the thick metal door of his cell was slammed roughly closed, leaving him alone to face his thoughts, knowing that he had failed her. That he had failed himself.

_"You should've stayed down, Jack…"_

**

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**

Night had fallen over the caves hours ago, slowly enveloping the tiny civilization into a blanket of darkness. It was clear out, probably the most cloudless sky the survivors had seen yet on the island. There was an endless expanse of stars, each illuminating its own spot in a brilliant array of tiny lights dotted over the sky.

This wasn't the first time that Charlie had watched such a display since the crash. No, he had spent many nights under the comfort of the stars, unable to sleep as he took in their beauty. This ritual had started for him just after he had given up his drugs to Locke, surrendering everything that he had thought he needed. Many sleepless nights had followed that day, but Charlie had hardly been in the right mindset to enjoy the brilliant night sky.

It was only after Claire had been taken that he had truly picked up the habit. There was something about loss, something about the utter vulnerability of the human mind that made star gazing such a tempting habit. He had seen things on those lonely nights that he had never imagined could be a part of nature. Clearly he had been missing out on something great, something that now fascinated him.

He often mused that if he weren't on this island and if he was still a part of Driveshaft, he would have the easiest time writing songs now. He was sure that he could find the inspiration to make hits out here. There was just something about the stars and the vast amount of sky they covered that opened up the mind.

Tonight though, he was out under the stars for a very different reason than leisure or song writing. Just this afternoon, Sayid had broke the news to all of the survivors that Jack had deserted them, off on some mad quest to find Kate. Though the one time soldier hadn't voiced his doubts, Charlie knew straight away that Sayid had no reason at all to hope that Kate was even still alive. Maybe he didn't even think Jack could have survived this long, and it had only been a night and half a day since he had left.

He supposed it didn't matter if either were alive, as grim as that may sound. Sayid had said as much, talking about how now they had to focus on those her were alive. And it made sense. In an odd, Lord of the Flies kind of way, it really made sense. Human life meant so little here because once it was gone, there was no use in meddling with it any longer. It was survival of the fittest. That wasn't to say that no one was to care for anyone else. Things always seemed to pan out just the opposite.

In another sense, perhaps human life meant all together more here, stranded on this island. Maybe the fact that there were only so many survivors, only so many real people left here ought to be taken into consideration. When a person is stuck on and island in the middle of nowhere without a rescue in sight, people grow close. The same people interact day in and day out and they depend on one another in ways that could never be possible in the real world. So maybe death meant more here. Maybe it hurt more.

But what it all came down to was that Jack was gone. The leader, the only doctor, had left them and they had no reason to hope that he would make it back alive. Sayid had warned them too of the looming threat of the Others. They had practically taken Kate right out from under each of their noses and if they did it once, then they would try it again. And chances are, under the current circumstances, they would succeed.

So Sayid had proposed they make a change. Many changes, actually. He said they needed to go on the defensive and make the caves a safer place to live. To start with, he had taken volunteers for sentries to guard the perimeter of the caves. Charlie had been the first to lend a hand to that. There would be shifts all through the night and even during the day.

And that was how Charlie had come to be up in the higher branches of a tree just outside the caves. Sayid had said that they didn't have the time to make more comfortable guarding stations, so the trees and the ground would have to do for now. Charlie wasn't sure which frightened him more. The idea of being stuck in this tree while a group of cannibal type island natives circled its base, refusing to let him down or being on the ground while he was chased through the jungle by the very same people.

In the end, Charlie had chosen the tree. He figured that this way, he would have an easier time calling for help in case of an emergency attack. He wasn't one to fight. He never had been. He had always been the cowering boy that was half the size of all the others in his class when he was in school. The one that the bullies loved to torture the most, just because it was easy. But Charlie knew now that if it came to it, he would fight the best he could. He was no ex-soldier like Sayid or some slightly insane hunting expert like Locke, but he would do what he could, as little as that may be.

The night was so quiet and it made Charlie feel eerily alone. He knew it was silly. The caves were only a yell away. Other guards were probably less than a hundred feet away. But he felt alone just now. Like it was just him and the sky, alone amongst the scattered trees.

Starting to grow bored and needing something, anything just to keep himself awake, Charlie snapped a leaf off of the end of a branch that had been dangling just in front of his face. He rubbed the tip of his finger over it, holding it loosely between finger and thumb. Sitting there idly tearing tiny strips off of the leaf, Charlie almost forgot what he was supposed to be doing.

It was the sound of a twig snapping underfoot that sent him from his silent reverie, pushing him back into reality. Suddenly alert from the sound, Charlie jumped where he sat, nearly falling from the tree as he did so. Cursing under his breath and struggling to pull his dangling legs back up to where he had been sitting, Charlie braced himself by wrapping his arms around the branch and forcing himself back up.

The sound came again, maybe a little closer this time. It was like leaves crunching underfoot, maybe even a light rustling of branches and foliage. Charlie strained his ears to listen for more, heart hammering like a freight train. Was it them? Were they back for someone else? His mind flashed to Claire and the baby then. They had wanted them once, what would stop them from wanting them now?

Again came the noise. This time it was definitely closer. Straining his eyes, Charlie knew he hadn't been mistaken this time. There was without a doubt a figure out in the trees, prowling along like a cat through the foliage. Amazingly, Charlie could somehow make him out in the dark, though it was difficult to keep sight of him.

Crouching back into the safety of the tree branches, hiding himself from view, Charlie let out a loud yell, just as Sayid had told him to if anything like this were to happen. Even if it might be a false alarm, Sayid had said he wanted to know.

"Hey!" Charlie yelled as loudly as he could, knowing that everyone at the caves would hear him along with the rest of the nearby guards, "Hey! Over here! I saw something!"

**

* * *

**

It was quiet. An eerie kind of quiet that can only be found so often in a world full of noisy civilizations and technology. It was the kind of quiet that drove Jack mad. The kind that made the very air around him feel heavy. It weighed on him, the silence of it all. The loneliness. He could feel it. It made his heart pound wildly within his chest. Made him long for a noise, any kind of sound, just to stop the quiet. Just to make it all end.

Because to Jack, silence was death. It was the end. It reminded him of times he'd rather forget, memories that seemed to never fade over time. As a doctor, there was never silence in his work. Always the frantic rush of the OR, the voices of nurses as they hurried through the halls. The creaking sound as the swinging doors opened and closed, new patients being brought in all the time.

Even at the operating table itself, there was hardly ever quiet. His voice would split the air constantly as he worked, barking orders at the interns and nurses at hand. Always the sound of the BP monitor, the mechanical noises from all of the needed equipment.

The only silences that ever came in surgery were the dangerous ones. The ones that meant he was lost. That he didn't know what to do. Only then would the room fall seemingly silent. No one around him ever dared to question him then, not wanting to interrupt the frantic thought process soaring through his mind. But the silence was still there, looming over him as though it was taunting his failure, pointing it out for everyone to see. For Jack, silence almost always meant death.

He thought of her then, just as surely as he thought about the silence. As if it was possible for him _not_ to think of her now. She weighed on him just as the quiet did, every iota of pressure falling down on him with a vengeance. They had taken her from him once again, this time hitting way closer to home. This time he had watched them take her. They had done it right in front of him as though they were taunting him somehow, rubbing it in his face that they could do it anytime.

Every inch of him ached from the fight he had put up against them. It had been hopeless all along, and a part of Jack had known that. He was sure that somehow, from the very moment they had entered the room to take Kate away, he had known there was nothing he could do about it. But he had tried. And he wanted to think that he had done all that he could to stop them. But had he? Had he really given it his all? Had he fought against them the best that he could, taking all the risks he could possibly take? There was a part of him that came in the form of his father's voice that told him otherwise.

Jack's eyes burned as his thoughts were tied to her, to Kate, but he didn't have any tears left to cry. His eyes were red from the ones he had already shed. He was almost glad that she wasn't there to see him now. To see what it was like when he lost all hold of himself, when he broke down, letting the walls around him crumble. He had never cried when he was younger. His father would have shamed him for days to come, calling him weak and a disappointment. Maybe that was what made it such a natural reaction for him now as an adult when he just couldn't take what life threw at him anymore.

He couldn't think of what might be happening to her now. Couldn't consider what it was they were capable of and just how much they could do to her. It was something that had almost been easy for him to ignore after she had first gone missing, but now that he was here with her and he had seen the harsh nature of the Others, he couldn't escape the thoughts of it. Jack had seen her, he had seen what she had wanted so badly to hide from him. The purple bruises to her face and the ones that had riddled her arms and the rest of her body. The violent cuts and scrapes, all marks of a terrible kind of abuse.

As if the physical evidence of what they had done to her hadn't been enough. Jack had seen the haunted look in her eyes, the rush of tears that had poured down her face. He had heard her cries and the desperation that was screaming with every inch of her body. Everything about her told what had happened to her.

The thing that struck him the hardest were the tiny red dots that went up and down her arms and the side of her neck. He had known right away what they were and it made his blood boil with anger. They were pricks from a needle. A syringe, to be more specific. He knew what it must mean. Testing. They were experimenting with her somehow, using her for tests of some sort. He knew it. In the pit of his stomach he knew that that was exactly what they were using her for and it brought up an anger in him that he could never imagine.

As he sat there hunched against the wall, knees bent as he stretched out his legs, head buried in his hands, he couldn't tear his mind off of it all. Off of Kate and what had happened to her. What was _still_ happening to her. He rubbed his face lightly with his hands, feeling a soaring ache in the places where he had been hit. He had been a fool to think he could stop them. He could feel the cool, copper taste of blood in his mouth, dripping from his lips.

_"Don't let them take me, Jack…"_

He didn't think he could ever get the ring of her words out of his mind, ever repeating in his head. It went on like a mantra, stuck in a seemingly never ending cycle. Rubbing his face, Jack lifted his head from his hands to gaze around the emptiness of the room. It was his first real look at the place. Before they had come for Kate, just after the lights had come on, things had been far to chaotic for him to really study his surroundings.

Wearily, Jack's eyes fell on the large metal door. It was the only way in and the only way out. It had a menacing look about it, a terrible feel to it. But staring at the door now, mind in a whirl of emotions, Jack noticed something odd to it, something that was strikingly familiar.

Towards the middle of the door, just above where a handle should have been, there was a symbol etched into the metal surface. From where he was sitting, with his vision slightly blocked out by the swelling of his bruised eye, Jack couldn't tell much about it except that it was highlighted in a black paint and was the shape of a hexagon. There was something to strikingly familiar about it, but Jack couldn't quite place it.

Needing a distraction, Jack forced a curiosity to flow into him, he willed for his mind to travel to the symbol on the door. He wanted to understand it, if only to distract himself from everything else. If only to forget about _her_.

Nearing the door, Jack saw that within the black outlines hexagon was a series of lines that paralleled one another, almost like a web. It was then that Jack realized what had been so familiar and it almost knocked him off his feet from the shock of it. Shoving his hand hastily into the pocket of his jeans, Jack fished around hopefully, praying that it was still there. That they hadn't found it and taken it from him.

He felt the smallest wave of success as his fingers brushed the cold metal of the lighter Rousseau had given him. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he realized what he had suspected all along. The marking on the door and the logo engraved onto the lighter were very nearly the same, down to the word 'DHARMA' that had been etched just below the center of each.

Eyes wide, Jack let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. Studying the two symbols, Jack noticed that there was only one difference between the two. The one on the lighter had the likeness of a swan scratched onto its surface, directly in its center. The one painted onto the door had a very different symbol at its center, but one that Jack recognized immediately, to his bewilderment.

He knew right away that it was the universal symbol of psychology, taken in the form of the Greek letter "psi". It was shaped much like a fork, but Jack knew that it stood for much more than that. He briefly remembered the short, introduction to psychology that he had had to take as a course during his first semester in medical school. One of the first things the professor had lectured on was the symbol for psychology and what it stood for. The lesson rang clear in Jack's mind.

The Greek letter had been formed in the likeness of a trident, which was a show of allegiance to Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. It served as the first letter for the Greek term "psuche", which Jack remembered had literally been translated into "psyche." It stood for studies dealing with an imbalance of the mind or spirit.

Jack's heart raced as he wondered what this could mean. What was a psychology symbol doing here? He thoughts of his previous assumptions about Kate, that she had been used as some sort of test subject. His mind fell into a whirl, his thoughts biting harshly at his consciousness. With a groan, he pushed the thoughts away, blinking furiously to fight at the guilt that burned against his conscience.

He drove himself to think of Dharma, and what it could possibly be about. He thought of the lighter and of the similar symbol he had seen no the cell door, and he found himself in a mix of confusion. Was this what Rousseau had wanted him to see? Was he on his way to the conclusions she had intended? Everything just seemed so blurry just now, nothing seemed right.

He wondered what the connection was between Dharma and the Others. He didn't question that there was one, because he knew there had to be. What was even more puzzling though was the difference in the two symbols he had come across. He looked back down to the lighter, running his thumb over its smooth surface. He wasn't certain, but he had a hint that this meant there were other stations out there, just like this one. Maybe even on this island.

Jack's mind immediately fell to the hatch. The large metal door that seemed so randomly placed in the middle of the jungle bore an eerie resemblance to all of this, even the cell they had locked him and Kate in. What were the chances really, that something so well placed, something that so screamed of civilization could not somehow be connected to all of this.

What had they stumbled upon out in the jungle, he had to ask himself. Just what had they blown open little more than a week and a half ago. Jack found himself inwardly hoping that they wouldn't try to explore the hatch just yet. A part of him never wanted to know what was inside. Somehow, he had a terrible sense of foreboding about the whole thing. And then he couldn't help but wonder what the hell he and the other survivors had come crashing into.

**

* * *

**

Sayid nearly jumped out of his skin as a loud yell pierced the chill night air, breaking the stony silence that had existed only moments before. He felt himself kick into action, registering the call for help in his mind, just as it continued to ring in his ears.

Within moments, two of the other guards on duty for the night had rushed up to where he still stood. There were several shouts in the distance, and Sayid knew that the rest of the guards too had heard the call and were responding to it. In his mind, he quickly took count of who stood before him. He saw Mark, the young man who had felt so guilty about Kate disappearing during his guard shift at the caves. The other was a man that Sayid had only just met this night, but couldn't recall the name of.

Only seconds passed as all of this took place in Sayid's mind. When another shout spread across the chill night air, he knew right away who it was. He couldn't mistake the thick British accent, laced with panic as it was forced into a yell.

"It's Charlie!" Sayid all but hissed to the two men, voice coming out in a harsh whisper, "We need to spread out! Mark, I want you to head for Charlie's post straight from here. And you," Sayid pointed to the man he didn't know, "I want you to run off to your right and then head back in when you are lined up with the post. I'll come in from the other side…"

The two younger men didn't need to be told twice as each ran from Sayid, stumbling off to do as he had said. Neither did Sayid waste another moment. He broke immediately into a run, heading off towards Charlie's scream and hoping that he would be able to keep this situation in hand. There was a chance that it was only a false alarm, that Charlie had mistakenly seen some sort of animal in the foliage or possibly nothing at all. But there was something in the young Brit's voice that made Sayid certain that this wasn't going to be a drill.

As he ran, bolting through the thick expanse of trees before him, Sayid reached blinding behind himself, pulling the nine millimeter from the hem of his faded brown cargo pants. He held it expertly before him, allowing himself to keep a firm, but loose grip on the trigger. He would be the only man to have a gun tonight. He hadn't been willing to give guns to untrained hands, knowing all too well how that could end up. He wouldn't watch any of the survivors fall to friendly fire as he had seen so many times in the Republican Guard. Not that he had fully had a choice, for Jack hadn't left the key to the Halliburton. Sayid suspected he could find a way to open the case if he wished, but just now a box full of guns was not what the remaining survivors needed.

**

* * *

**

Locke panted hard as he all but stumbled into the clearing. He had been farther from the caves than any of the guards, party because he knew the terrain the best and because it was the post he had given himself. He had heard Charlie's scream straight off, and knew that he would be the closest of anyone on duty. He had run immediately from his post, following the sound of Charlie's voice.

He knew he was close now, having recognized the clearing he had just stumbled upon. Charlie had been posted very close by, he knew, but he couldn't see the other man anywhere.

"Charlie!" he called out, placing a hand at either side of his mouth to further his range. There was no response. Locke felt himself growing suddenly worried. He knew this was where Charlie was supposed to be and he couldn't see why he wouldn't be here now, particularly if he had just been shouting for help.

_Come on, Charlie_, Locke thought to himself, barely whispering the words under his breath. He silently asked the island for the other man's safety, unwilling to watch it demand another sacrifice like Boone. A part of Locke's faith had been direly shook at his young friend's death, but perhaps it had left him more rooted in his belief in destiny than ever. Somehow, he believed that it would be what Boone would have wanted. It had been what Boone died believing in, hadn't it?

Locke cupped his hands around his mouth, preparing to call out once more, "Cha-" he was cut off as a hand was roughly thrown over his mouth, blocking out the sound as Locke let out a strangled gasp of surprise.

He immediately fought against the hold on him, but was met by a strong force slamming into his shoulder and a sharp kick in the side. The hand on his mouth was not removed as Locke felt a cold metal being pressed harshly against his neck, the pressure enough to leave a nasty bruise. It was then as Locke was being pulled into a furious headlock that he realized he was being held at gunpoint.

Panting, fighting with all he had just to draw in breath and calm himself, Locke clamped his eyes shut for a moment, just taking it all in. He could hear the blood rushing in his hears, feel his heart pounding without relent within his chest. And then came a voice. A chilling?unmistakable voice.

"Are you him?" there was a desperation to the thickly accented voice as it came out in a broken whisper. When Locke wasn't quick to respond, he felt the cold barrel of the gun being pressed further into his neck. He could feel the other man's warm breath against his face, tickling his ear as the man pressed his face close to Locke's, restraining him from behind, "_Are you him_!"

Locke felt a fear like he had never felt or anticipated flowing over him, rushing through his veins like a violent river rapid. He didn't know what to say, couldn't imagine what a safe response to the question would be. It all depended on who _him_ was and how he was connected to the gunman.

"H-him?" Locke questioned feebly, if only to buy himself time. He closed his eyes, clamping them tightly shut as he waited for the gunshot and the darkness to overtake him. Somehow, he found himself sure he was going to be shot.

"You're either _him_ or you're not," the gunman snapped, almost mocking Locke's lacking response. The gun was pressed further against Locke's neck and he could feel the man's long locks of hair falling against his face just as the gun did, "So which is it, brother?"

And here it was. The moment of truth. Locke hesitated for only a moment, digging through his mind for what the right answer was. And though he couldn't imagine why, a vision of the hatch came to mind, the large metal door as clear as day to him. He wondered then what the island wanted him to say and though a part of him thought that was a silly notion, he couldn't help that it was the first thing that came to mind. And then came his answer, after only a few seconds had passed.

"Yes…Yes, I am." Locke's voice shook as he spoke, but he tried his best to feign a calmness. A sincerity. He only wished that he knew what was happening and who this man was.

Several moments passed in silence, and though in his mind Locke knew that this was far from over, he let out a small sigh of relief. If anything, it felt as though that same sense of relief had washed over the gunman as his entire grip on Locke grew slack in that instant, loosening up on him though he refused at first to remove the gun.

In an instant Locke felt himself being shoved forward, the gunman jerking away from him in rushed steps. Locke stumbled away, losing his balance before finally gaining it again and turning to face the gunman he had not yet seen. He saw him then for the first time, standing no more than five feet away, the gun in his hands still fixed on Locke. Locke mentally acknowledged that the gun was an AK-47.

"I can't believe it…" the gunman spoke in a cracked whisper after a moment. Locke took in his appearance then, noting that he was dressed in some sort of military jumpsuit, not far from what he had seen donned by U.S. Air Force pilots. The man was only slightly shorter than Locke himself was, and he had a head of untamable brown curls that fell down to his shoulders in a mess of hair. His face was covered in a rough stubble, his eyes wild from what Locke would've guessed to be stress and exhaustion, "You're finally here…" Though the man seemed unsure, his eyes teared over as he spoke.

"Well, here I am…" Locke laughed nervously, his hands now stuffed awkwardly in his pockets. He wondered fearfully how long this charade could go on before he would be found out.

It was then, as everything seemed to calm down several degrees, that Locke's mind drifted back to Charlie. He still hadn't seen hide nor hair of the man, and found it more than a little suspicious. Feeling that for Charlie's sake he would have to press his luck, Locke spoke up again.

"Where's Charlie?" his voice was as firm as it had ever been this night, but inwardly he was shaking.

"Who, brother?" the gunman asked, a stern look suddenly flashing in his eyes as his hands tightened on the gun, his finger securely gripping the trigger. Locke swallowed hard.

"Charlie. He's a young man, no more than thirty…" Locke voiced, a sudden dread coming over him. He realized then that he had stepped over his boundaries.

"What did one snowman say to the other?" the sternness flashed again in the gunman's eyes, accompanied by a strong distrust. Locke knew the charade was over.

"What?" Locke again tried to stall for time, but in his mind he knew it was useless. That trick wouldn't work again and he wouldn't be getting lucky with this question. The answer was beyond him and he knew it.

"Just answer the question, brother…" the man allowed Locke no mercy as his eyes bore down on him, judging his response with every passing second that Locke stalled.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Locke finally admitted after a moment, the fear suddenly overtaking him again. He wanted to shout for help, to alert the other guards that he suspected ought to have been here by now. Had they even heard Charlie's calls?

"Then you're not him," the man said sternly, a looking of mistrustful disgust etched grimly into his features. He raised the gun then, better aiming it at Locke as he motioned to him with it, "On the ground!" he singled to Locke with the gun, eyes alight with fury, "Do it!"

Locke silently obeyed, raising his hands cautiously in the air to signify that he meant no harm, then moving down to stand on his knees, legs brushing against the damp jungle floor. Swallowing hard, he raised his head to look back at the gunman, inwardly shivering at the fury that shone in the other man's eyes.

"I'm not here to cause you any harm…" Locke tried, voice almost pleading as he spoke. The fact that the whole scene had come to be set up execution style had not escaped him. Again he wondered what had become of Charlie and why Sayid and the others hadn't come.

"Then why _are_ you here, brother?" the man shook his head, chuckling at the irony of it all as he spoke. It was almost as though he were mocking Locke.

"I was in a plane crash…" Locke thought it best to go back to the start of it all, all the while knowing that the man was probably referring to why Locke was in this clearing at this exact moment.

"Were you now?" he had an almost sing song tone of voice, again almost mocking him as he shook his head in disbelief before snapping his attention to Locke, "And when was this?"

"Well over a month ago…" Locke explained quickly, knowing that the man's question had less to do with curiosity and more to do with mockery. He had to make him see, "September 22..."

"Right…" the disbelief was still ever present in the man's voice, " And what's this about a Charlie?"

"He was supposed to be here…" Locke explained, somehow suspecting that the man already knew that. That he was just toying with him.

"Was he now?" the man asked, this time with what appeared to be a genuine interest shining in his eyes, "This Charlie, did he happen to be a Brit?"

A sudden dread fell over Locke and he couldn't force out a verbal response. All he could do was nod, as though lost in a haze. He hardly registered it when the man's voice again pierced the air, this time sounded somewhat tinged with a cold regret.

"He's over there, brother," the man nodded to his right, motioning to a tree towards the far end of the clearing with his gun. Hesitating only briefly, Locke forced himself to turn and look, an overwhelming sense of dread overtaking him. His heart sank when his eyes fell on the unconscious form of a man laying just beneath the tree, completely still and unmoving.

**

* * *

**

It was hours later, exactly how long Jack couldn't be sure, that the metal door to the cell again swung open. His head snapped up immediately, body tensing as he readied himself for any form of action necessary. His heart pounded wildly within his chest and he suddenly found himself short of breath.

He watched on, eyes wide as Kate was shoved through the door, and roughly thrown down onto the floor. Jack hadn't seen more than their arms and hands from where he had been sitting before they immediately retreated again, disappearing as the door was once again slammed shut behind them.

Kate stifled a gasp as her already aching body collided harshly with the cold cement floor, face scraping against its roughness. Tenderly lifting her head, Kate's eyes immediately snapped to Jack. He sat with his back pressed against the far wall, his knees brought securely up to his chest as his kept his face buried in his hands.

She knew he had seen her, knew that he had to see that she was here. Something tore within Kate as she registered the fact that he was trying to push her from his mind, seemingly unwilling to acknowledge her presence. There was a brokenness about him, something that she had never seen there before. Defeat.

"Jack?" she called, her voice shaking with tears and coming out in little more than a whimper. She watched as he continued to sit there, as the stewing in his own despair. It was as though he hadn't heard her as he sat just as he had before, unmoving as he rubbed his face dejectedly, lightly massaging the sore spots.

"Jack, please…" she was begging him now, not moving from where they had thrown her onto the floor. She shifted her position as she spoke, moving to sit up on her arms. Still he made no sign of having heard her, but she had no doubt that he had. Her heart was racing madly within her chest, her entire being frustrated with him for ignoring her,

"_Please_, Jack!" Kate pleaded with him, tears streaming steadily down her face. She inched across the floor to move closer to him, her entire form trembling from the tension of it all. He still hadn't looked to her or acknowledged her in any way. He just continued to sit where he was, nervously running his hands through his hair, "Please, just _look_ at me!"

Finally, as if the ice around him had suddenly broken, he slowly lifted his head to look at her, letting his hands drop to his sides. She didn't miss the fact that his hands were balled into his fists or that there was a distinct look of bitter resentment etched into his features, fury flashing dangerously in his eyes.

But the look lasted only a fraction of a second as the walls around him began to crumble just at the sight of her. A softness fell into his brown orbs, washing over his features as he continued to drink her in. It was as if he was somehow scrutinizing her, looking to see what kind of condition she was in. With the softness came a kind of hurt, a broken sadness that Kate could hardly describe. If anything, it mirrored the look she knew would be in her own eyes as she sat there staring at him in longing, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She could see the toll the fight had taken on him, knowing that he hadn't been like this when they had captured him. There was a trail of blood trickling from his bottom lip to his chin. Much of his face had succumbed to bruising, not unlike she was sure her own face must appear. His right eye was starting to blacken heavily and she was certain it would be swollen shut by morning without anything to bring the swelling down. He looked so broken and lost, but she couldn't mistake the purpose in his eyes.

"Kate…" his voice broke the air, coming out in a cracked whisper and suddenly Kate's mind snapped back to her own feelings.

She remembered her need for him and how she had cried for him when they had taken her, shouting his name as they had dragged her mercilessly down the hall and away from the cell. Hearing her name on his lips brought it all back to her, and she felt that now familiar sense of hopelessness that had once been so uncharacteristic wash over her.

Kate broke into a fit of sobs then, the tears continuing to steadily fall like rain. Clamping her eyes shut in her misery, reduced to only crying, Kate felt herself fall back to the floor, breaking away from his steady gaze. In the back of her mind, she could hear him shuffling across the floor and wasn't surprised when she felt his arms snake around her shoulders, drawing her to him.

She sobbed harder as he pressed her up against him, his hands drawing comforting circles along her back. Kate surrendered to her crying, for once just letting it all out, reveling in the fact that he was holding her now, no longer ignoring her like she didn't matter. She felt his hands travel over her back, his thumbs tracing tiny patterns over the skin of her arms as though he was assuring himself that she was sitting there before him.

Burying her head against his shoulder, the stubble on his face brushing against her cheek, her sobs began to quiet. Kate hadn't realized it at first, but for some time now he had been whispering quietly in her ear, saying something, anything just to calm her. She felt his hands move to her hair, running his fingers through her long brown curls. There was a kind of desperation about his actions, something very different than anything she had ever seen in him.

Kate felt the sudden desire to look at him. She wanted to see his eyes, touch his face, just to feel him. Just to see him. Pulling back, Kate didn't separate them, but kept herself pressed up close against his chest, still able to meet his eyes. He looked so tired as she gazed at him, an exhaustion sweeping over him. The gaze only lasted a moment before his voice split the air, breaking the silence.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyes alight with an emotion she couldn't quite place. All she could do was nod, though a part of her screamed that she was only lying. Sniffling, she blinked rapidly, trying to break his gaze, but finding herself unsuccessful, "Did they hurt you?" this last question came in a low tone, almost as though he was hesitating to ask, unsure if he even wanted to know the answer.

The intensity in his eyes was just too much. Kate looked away then, no longer able to stand the strength of his gaze and the sincerity in his eyes. He was damaged, hurt by all of this. All that had happened to her. He didn't even know the half of it, and yet he was in shambles and she knew it. She could see it in his eyes, in everything about him. And all because they had hurt her.

"Kate…" he spoke up again, drawing her out of her bitter reverie when she didn't respond. She wanted to tell him she was fine, that they hadn't done anything to her this time. She wanted to say something, anything just to take the tension out of the air. Even if all she could do was nod, that would be okay. But she couldn't even do that. She couldn't bring herself to lie so drastically to him, no matter how much of her nature begged her to.

He opened his mouth to speak again, unwilling to drop the topic. Just by looking at him, just a half glance in his eyes, she knew that he thought he needed to know. He thought that he somehow owed it to her, to them both, for her to tell him. Maybe he even thought he deserved it. And she had no doubt that he did, but Kate couldn't do that. Not here, not now. She wasn't ready and she couldn't even tell him that.

And just as her name began to surface again, she silenced him by bringing her face wordlessly down to meet his, kissing him with a desperation she hadn't known she possessed. A part of her had feared he'd pulled away, that things had changed since that night at the caves, the night she'd been taken. And she knew things _had_ changed, but did he still mean what he had shown her then?

Jack didn't let her wait long. Within only a fraction of an agonizing second, he registered what was happening and he kissed her back, matching her desperation. There was an unsaid passion between them, one that hadn't been there that night in the caves. He could feel her trembling within his arms, gasping into his mouth as the kiss went on. She kissed him as though she had a burden she wanted desperately to shed. Like she wanted to erase it all. And she did. With his kiss she blocked out the terror of DeGroot, of the Others. They ceased to exist, if only for a moment.

She could taste the copper hint of blood on his lips, felt him flinch at the contact there, wincing as she brought her hands up and into his short cropped hair. Running her fingers along the back of his head, she pressed him closer to her. He pulled away then, if only for a fragment of a second, coming back to her and placing a series of tiny kisses on her lips. She closed her eyes, absorbing it all in a way that she hadn't with anyone else.

He groaned, shuddering as her hands went from gripping tightly at his shirt to cupping his face, running her fingers tendering over the stubble as her thumbs rested on his chin. The kiss was gentler this time, a tenderness that hadn't been there before was now present.

Pulling away finally, Kate didn't move back, but let her forehead rest gently against his. She could feel his warm breath tickling her face, see the light dancing in his eyes. For a split second, she might have been able to tell herself that he looked carefree, no longer disturbed by the day's events. It took only the blink of an eye for Kate to see that that was far from the truth. His eyes were sad, crushed almost, just as they had been before. The defeat was still there.

Without warning a tear began to trickle down her face, rolling down her cheek against her will. As if in a trance, Jack reached up a finger to gently wipe it away, his fingers lightly brushing against the side of her face, stroking her skin. Seeing the look in her eyes and knowing that it was mirrored in his own brown orbs, he clamped his eyes tightly shut. He placed his arms on her shoulders then, tenderly gripping her there.

She moved into the circle of his arms, resting herself fully against his chest as she once again buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her warms breath tickled his skin there, the stubble of his face rubbing against her cheek. They stayed that way for a long time, falling into a listlessness that they had both needed. Whatever was meant to come, they felt a sense of reassurance that things would work out in the end. But neither could know just how long that journey was going to be.

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**A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? As always, I love to hear your feedback! Again, any questions or confusions (as I know I tend to be confusing…lol), just let me know. Thanks for reading and keep a look out for the next chapter! It should be up later this week! 


	13. What Dreams May Come

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm sorry this update took a little longer than the last few. I've been very busy lately with summer reading for AP English, but I'm going to keep up the updates as best I can. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…

**_WARNING: There's going to be a more intense scene in this chapter that is bordering on R-rated. Since this doesn't happen often, I wasn't sure if I should bump the rating or not. The first scene of the chapter that is in italics contains a flashback to rape, so if you aren't comfortable with that, then please don't read it! Oh, and it would really help me out if you guys that do read it let me know if its too much for PG-13 and if I should bump my rating. Thanks!_**

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**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 12: What Dreams May Come**

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_The world seemed to come in a faint blur to Kate, so much so that she couldn't quite make out her surroundings. What came to her first was the dimness of the light and the way it flickered from the cheaply made fixture in the ceiling. Then came the paleness of the walls surrounding her and the sickly texture of the concrete floor. _

_It was odd and not exactly something that Kate could begin to rationalize within her mind. She knew where she was, remembered everything very well, but couldn't quit recall what was currently happening. Had she drifted off, only to wake up again? And why was everything so blurry? Her vision was coming in a dizzying spiral, throwing her into a bliss of confusion._

_In just the split second it took her to blink, something shifted somehow and it was almost like she had been lifted into the air, only to be dropped in the same place again. She felt a warmth around her and a solidness just to her front. There was a flash of white before her and her vision cleared just enough to match the white with the dirtied one time dress shirt Jack was wearing. _

_His arms were around her, stirring a comforting warmth within her. She could see him much better now, feeling the lightness of his lips on her face and then her neck, falling down to her shoulders. In another blink of an eye, his mouth was on hers, his hands gripping her shoulders as his fingers laced through her long strands of hair. Somewhere in the confused bliss of her mind, the sudden blur of thoughts, she could hear him moan into her mouth, kissing her with all that he had._

_The change was so sudden that she hardly felt it come. In another instant everything around her changed. She felt her mind fall into a chaotic whirl as she struggled to get a grasp on where she was and what was happening. She was in a white washed room. The color was blindingly stark and the whole place smelled of a sterile cleaning solution._

_Kate saw him then, her vision still clouded, but clearing only for him. She saw first the flaming contrast of his hair, its vibrant red standing blatantly out from the white of the room. Next came the roughness of his face and the thickness of his beard and what could only be described as a cold kind of emptiness in his eyes. _

_Time, something that Kate wasn't even sure existed anymore, seemed to stand still as the most malevolent smile stretched across his pallid face. His eyes seemed to see only her, but it was a shallow gaze that Kate could never forget. It was almost in slow motion as he slipped off his long white lab coat, revealing his somewhat gruff attire. He tossed the coat aside as though it were meaningless, walking towards her with a tormenting stare._

_Again Kate felt a pull in her mind, and suddenly she felt herself once again in the circle of Jack's arms. This time her back rested against the cold cement floor, the weight of him bearing down on her as he stretched out atop her. She almost wondered why he didn't speak and why she couldn't see his eyes, no matter how many times she gripped for his face, pulling at him to look at her. He seemed to be lost to the world as he left a thin trail of kisses down her collar bone, his stubble tickling the skin of her neck. _

_She was lost to it all again as the scene shifted back to the white room, the blunt color still as blinding as ever. She gasped in shock as she felt the weight of the man on top of her, the roughness of his hands traveling greedily down to her waist. He seemed not to notice her sounds of protest, but moved only to press her down further into the cement floor, muffling her screams as he crushed her lips with his own. _

_Blind terror was all she could feel now, the confused bliss of moments before lost to her. Kate could feel the roughness of the cement against her bare shoulders, its harsh surface cutting into her back as he gripped her tighter. She felt him nibble at her collar bone, gruffly muttering something inaudible in her ear. He smelled of whiskey and cheap cigars, his hot breath falling against her neck as she cringed to escape it._

_Tears burned at her skin, rolling down her cheeks only to wet the floor. She gasped and fought, but to no avail. She screamed with all that she had, her yells piercing the once silent air. Kate heard the rumble of his deep throated laugh, could feel his chest heaving against her own as he did so. _

_It was so clear, yet all so blurry at the same time. Everything came from flashes and fragments of what? Memory? Or was it even real? She couldn't tell, couldn't begin to determine anything as she succumbed to what seemed to be an all too familiar terror._

In a final flash, Kate barely registered that she was awake, that she had somehow been pulled away from it all. She was drawing in ragged, desperate breaths, quietly sobbing under her breath as she realized that it hadn't been real. It had been a dream. Nothing but a dream. It wasn't real and it couldn't hurt her, so why was she trembling?

Kate hadn't even got a hold of herself when she felt him laying beside her, his arm draped lazily over her shoulders while his other rested against her hip. Her mind flew into a frenzy then, eyes widening in terror as she leapt up from the floor, her feet moving so fast that she couldn't even comprehend it all. With a strangled sob and a scream she barely recognized as her own, Kate jerked away and ran.

Her mind was so lost in everything she couldn't explain that she forgot about the cell. The walls, the confinement, all of it. Her body slammed into the wall with an untamed force. She let out a wild cry of pain, sinking to the floor as she realized there was nowhere left to go. Kate waited in an agonized terror, knowing that she would be able to see the red of his hair and the hungry gleam of his eyes even in the near pitch black of the room. The voice that met her ears was far from expected.

"Kate?" his voice came out in a cracked, almost desperate tone. She could see how he was up in a start, everything about him alert as his head jerked this way in that, obviously looking for her.

_Jack_. She saw it all clearly now. It had only been Jack. A dream. All of it. But that was far from what she was thinking as she shrunk back against the wall, body nearly collapsing to the floor. She wanted to disappear just then, thankful only for the darkness that surrounded her.

He was at her side within seconds of spotting her curled up form hunched against the wall, sunk down into the floor. He sank immediately to his knees, moving beside her in an urgency that matched her desperation to run. And that was all she could think of just then. Running.

In the back of her mind as she fought for breath, she could hear him calling her name, begging her to hear him. To tell him what was wrong. She heard that clearly. And she nearly laughed at it, not bothering to think of that as an insane notion. How could she even begin to explain it all to him and why would she want to? This kindness he had shown for her and all of the caring, it would all vanish if he knew.

She was reduced to a fit of sobs as she tried to shrink farther into the cold cement floor, willing herself to just disappear somehow. She was afraid to look at him, to even turn at the sound of his calming voice. Kate was afraid that if she looked, it would be some cruel trick. She was afraid that instead of seeing his dark, concerned eyes, she would see only that fiery red hair that plagued her dreams.

"Kate…" his voice pierced through her clouded mind, but still she wouldn't turn to face him. She only shrugged her body closer to the wall. She couldn't count how many times he said her name or how much time had actually passed. She found herself wishing that he would just leave her alone and let her pull through her own misery.

The feel of his hands on her shoulder, lightly tracing his thumb across her back came from nowhere. His touch surged into her mind, her thoughts reeling to everything but him. And as she clamped her eyes shout, trying to drown out the feel of his hands on her back, drawing soothing circles along her shoulders, she saw the burly form of DeGroot and the flash of red from his hair.

She let out a sudden scream of fury, pulling herself hastily to her feet. She jerked from his touch, unable to see it as his own but feeling only the hands of that monster moving greedily along her body. She stumbled away, barely finding her feet as she fought to get away.

"Kate!" she heard him all but shout after her, unable to understand what was going on even for a second. She hadn't expected him to, even in the frenzy her mind was in.

"Stay away from me!" she snapped back, voice holding a feverish tone as she moved to the other side of the cell, as far as she could possibly get. This time she kept on her feet, body hunched against the wall in a defensive stance. She heard him continue to say her name, but she made no move to respond.

Jack came after her within a moment. She felt his hand roughly grip her wrist, tugging her back and pulling her to a halt. Kate was shivering violently now, trembling as he tried to pull her to him. It happened in the flash of a second and she hardly even registered her actions before it was over.

Balling her hand into a fist she threw herself at him suddenly, swinging at him with both arms. Her fist caught him head on in the face, slamming into his jaw with a force Kate hadn't known she possessed. Jack hissed in pain, immediately withdrawing as he let go of her wrist.

Moving the rest of the way to the far end of the cell, Kate sank down to the floor in defeat, drawing her knees up to her chest. Burying her face down to her lap, let herself fall into a fit of sobs, her entire body shaking. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, couldn't stand to think of what she would see in him now.

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"Charlie!" Locke tried to yell, but found his voice caught in his throat, coming out only in a strangled gasp. The shock of it all had hit him like a hard blow to the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He could hardly tear his eyes away from Charlie's still unmoving form. Locke shifted his stance and made a move to run to his fallen friend, but was stopped as the gunman jumped into his path, blocking his way.

"Stay where you are!" the man barked, fixing the aim of his gun on Locke, stopping him in his tracks. There was a desperate, almost deranged look in the man's eyes now, a look Locke could hardly explain even in his own mind, "There's nothing to be done about it now!"

"What have you done?" Locke shook his head, eyes falling into a pool of helplessness. He looked all over the clearing, eyes stopping only for a split second at every tree, as though the answer to everything would just fall from one of them, "What have you _done_!"

"I defended myself, brother," was all the man could say, suddenly looking as hopeless as Locke. There was a regretful air about him, but Locke found it hard to accept.

"He wasn't here to hurt you!" Locke insisted, eyes bearing down hard upon the gunman, almost not caring anymore that he had an AK-47 fixed directly to his forehead, the man's finger gripped tightly over the trigger.

"And how was I to know that, brother?" the man was suddenly defensive, something Locke hadn't quite expected. He didn't have a chance to answer his question though, as a shout from nearby and the sound of approaching footsteps came from nowhere.

He didn't have to even turn his head to know that someone had stumbled into the clearing just behind him. Two men, he reasoned with himself as he listened to them panting for breath. Locke wondered when they would notice the scene in front of them and better yet how they would react.

It all happened so fast, that Locke hardly registered any of it in his mind. He felt rough hands jerking at his shoulders, pulling him back until he had fallen to the ground, landing none too gently on his back. As he struggled to sit up and pull himself back to his feet, he received a sharp kick in the side and felt the cold metal of the gun's barrel being pressed into the side of his neck. He couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation falling full circle to the way it had started, with him at gunpoint.

"Stay back!" the gunman yelled at the two the Locke could now visibly see. The dim rays of moonlight that fell through the canopy of the trees and into the clearing fell onto each man's face, and Locke immediately recognized Mark. The other man, only slightly older than Mark, he knew to be Adam.

The two looked absolutely terrified, the bewilderment on their faces unmatched. Each of them gazed confusedly at Locke, and then to the gunman, neither showing any sign of knowing what to do. At the man's frantic order to them, they all but leapt back, looking like all either of them wanted to do was disappear.

"Drop your weapons!" the man yelled at the two, and it was only then that Locke noticed that each was armed with a knife and there was a hastily made spear clutched in Mark's shaking hands, "Do it!"

When both men hesitated to obey, Desmond pressed the gun further into Locke's neck, causing him to gasp from the pressure of it. It was cutting into his skin at the end of the barrel, "I said drop it!" The two jumped this time, hastily tossing their less than adequate weapons in front of them, "Now step back! Move!" he barked and the two men quickly took several steps back, both visibly shaking.

"On your feet!" the man barked at Locke, relieving some of the pressure on Locke's neck by pulling the gun back only to bump his shoulder with it. Locke shakily pulled himself to his feet, his knees aching as he did so.

"These two-" the man pointed to Mark and Adam with the AK-47, eyeing Locke once he had stumbled to his feet, "Were they from your plane?" It wasn't a question so much as a demand.

"Yes…" Locke panted, finding it painful just to breathe, "Yes, they're with me…"

"How many of you are there?" another demand, the frantic look in the man's eyes becoming more desperate with each passing moment. Locke began to wonder if he wasn't just going to die here, shot by this man.

"Forty-two, not counting the missing…" Locke said with a sigh, exasperated as he wondered where all of this was going to end. He hardly dared to steal a glance at Charlie, afraid of seeing his still form. Out of the corner of his eye, Locke saw movement behind him and realized that it was Mark making a move for his knife that he had tossed in front of him.

"Move and I kill him!" the man yelled furiously, eyes blazing as he stared down the other man. Mark hesitated, looking from the gunman to the knife, as though weighing his options. Enraged, the man yelled again, firing a warning shot into the air, "Do you want him to die! Stay where you are or I'll blow his damned head off, brother!"

No one had a chance to let the man's words fully sink in. The next few seconds came and passed in a blur, everything happening so fast that none could even register it all in their minds. There was a rustling coming from nearby, towards the end of the clearing, but just as the gunman turns to face the sound, a man had leapt from the foliage and was upon him before he could even blink, yet alone aim and fire his gun.

There was a strangled yell and a shout of fury as the gunman was thrown to the ground, the unmistakable form of another man on top of him, having knocked him off his feet. Locke saw first the tanned skin and the mess of raven black curls and knew straight away that the new man to enter the scene was Sayid. A relief like he had never felt washed over him with a pleasant effect, though it only lasted a few moments.

"Locke!" he heard Sayid force out in a muttered growl, having tackled the man to the ground and using all the force he had to overtake him. Locke saw the AK-47 slide across the jungle floor, kicked out of the tussle by Sayid. Taking the hint, Locke dove for it, pulling it somewhat awkwardly in his arms.

Feeling frozen in place, it took several agonizing moments for Locke to again pull himself up off the ground. He struggled to his feet, keeping a death grip on the gun. When he got to his feet, he found that Sayid had successfully pinned the gunman to the ground, landing a punch square in the man's face. The other two men had rushed over now and were attempting to help Sayid. Locke approached, the AK-47 held securely in his grip.

Locke didn't know what he had been expecting. A part of him had though Sayid would immediately begin to question the man, wanting as much information as he could get about the Others. Locke didn't know why, but he hadn't thought of the gunman as an Other since he first few moments he had stumbled into the clearing looking for Charlie. There was just something different about him, something that Locke hadn't expected at all.

He found himself completely shocked though when Sayid swiftly pulled the nine millimeter from where it was safely stowed in the hem of his pants. The man wasted no time in hitting the gunman hard over the head. With only a half weary groan the man's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his body going suddenly limp as he fell the rest of the way to the ground.

Sayid sat over him, unmoving for several moments, simply panting as he fought to draw in gulps of air. He didn't look to any of them for some time before finally turning to Locke, a look that he could've sworn was grimly faced, "Where's Charlie?"

Shaking his head, Locke nodded to where he knew Charlie lay, still unmoving, "He's over there…"

Sayid stood up, brows furrowed as his lips parted in a look of shock. He saw the dark form he knew was Charlie, laying sprawled beneath a tree at the far end of the clearing. He shook his head, almost in a grim disbelief. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Having sentry guards was supposed to keep everyone safe. Alive. But then who was to protect the sentry guards?

He looked then to Adam, addressing him though he still couldn't recall the man's name, "Keep watch over him," he nodded to the gunman's unconscious form. Sayid turned to Locke, nodding as he met the older man's gaze, "We need to tend to Charlie…"

Wordlessly and without a single glance at the other, Sayid and Locke walked across the clearing, heading toward Charlie's still form. Locke felt his eyes water as the neared the scene. He didn't want to think of it. He didn't even want to have to be here, just now. He found himself unwillingly envisioning Charlie's boyish grin and hoping that there would still be time to see that grin again.

Standing before the man's still form, Sayid knelt down beside him. Reaching out a hand that trembled ever so slightly, to placed two fingers over Charlie's temple, holding his breath. A part of him didn't even want to take the man's pulse, didn't want to have to voice the verdict. A let out a tremendous sigh of relief when he felt a steady pulse beneath his fingers, the heart still beating.

"He's alive," Sayid confirmed, hardly able to mask the joy that had washed over him, not to mention the relief. He couldn't imagine having to cope with a man's blood having to be on his head so soon since he had been thrown into leadership and he found himself wondering for the hundredth time how Jack had managed.

Sayid ran his hands over the front of Charlie's dirt stained shirt, his fingers searching for any kind of moisture that would signify blood. He felt further relief when he realized that the man hadn't been shot. There was no bullet wound. He then examined Charlie's head, running his fingers through the man's mass of dirty blonde hair until he found what he had been looking for.

Already there was a large lump forming at the back of Charlie's head, a small pool of blood seeping from it. Feeling it over, Sayid realized to his satisfaction that the bleeding had long since stopped and the wound was beginning to clot on its own.

"He's been hit over the head," Sayid commented, a sense of assurance in his voice. He couldn't begin to explain the utter sense of relief that had washed over him. Even in the dim light, he could see the same look flash through Locke's eyes and he knew what the other man must be feeling.

"Is he going to need a doctor?" Locke asked, almost not wanting to know the answer. He didn't have to be told that they didn't happen to have a doctor at hand.

"It's only a small wound. He should be fine," Sayid confirmed, glancing back down to Charlie once more, "We need to get him back to the caves."

"What about-" Locke began, nodding his head to the unconscious gunman. Sayid paused for a moment, as though deep in thought.

Without a word, Sayid got up from the ground beside Charlie and strode back across the clearing, leaving Locke in bewilderment. He made his way back over to the gunman's unconscious form and met Mark's eyes as the man stood over the prisoner.

"We need to get Charlie back to the caves," Sayid said once he had the attention of the two men. Both gazed attentively at him, "I need you both to carry him back. Locke and I will deal with the captive."

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Jack looked at her for a long while, still standing several feet away as he tenderly massaged his face where she had hit him. He still couldn't believe that she had done it and didn't quite know what to think of it. All he knew was to keep his distance. She had made that much clear to him.

He had his back to her, but somehow he knew that she was watching him. That she had been this entire time since the had hit him. Jack would occasionally steal a glance back at her, hoping that she wouldn't see, but he knew that she did. He couldn't begin to explain this sudden change that had come over her. It was like a fear, a vicious, gripping terror that had got a hold of her, blocking out all rational thought.

And suddenly Jack felt a bitter, almost sardonic smile playing at his lips, turning into a low chuckle as he shook his head. Wasn't this just the way things always were when it came to her? Just when he thought they had taken a step in the right direction, she'd somehow take ten steps backwards and leave him wondering how it had all happened.

The better part of Jack knew that he shouldn't hold any of this against her, that it was just selfish of him if he did. He knew she had been through hell these past days before he had found her. And he still didn't know just what that hell had consisted of, but if it could somehow break through her tough exterior and whittle her down to this mere shell of what she had been, then he didn't even want to think of it.

But there was still a tiny part of him, the part that bit at the back of his mind, tempting him to just give in. It was the part of him that knew this kind of thing was all in her nature. That for some sick reason that he may never know, she couldn't get too close to anyone without reflexively trying to hurt them. Jack had seen that in her when she had begged him for help with getting the Marshall's case from Sawyer and it was a sad truth.

"Jack…" the sound of her voice cut through the tense air like a knife, tearing sharply at him. He winced, knowing that it was inevitable that they had to talk this out.

He turned to look at her, and at seeing her, taking in her worn appearance even in the nearly pitch blackness, Jack felt himself begin to soften. But he immediately clenched his teeth, hardening his expression with every ounce of self restraint that he had. He couldn't just give into her, not yet.

She swallowed hard, obviously seeing now that she had his full attention and looking as though she suddenly didn't know what to do with it. For his part, Jack didn't tear his eyes away from her for a single moment, but he watched as her own fell to the floor, studying it as though it somehow held all the answers she needed. He could see a kind of shame washing over her face, radiating her eyes.

"Jack, I…I'm sorry…" she finally choked out after a moment, eyes furiously blinking away at tears. At seeing his stony expression, she almost hesitated again, but a newfound courage seemed to wash over her and she continued, "I'm sorry I kissed you…"

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It was only moments after arriving at the caves that Charlie began to come to, his eyes fluttering open as he groaned in protest. His eyelids felt like they were made of lead, as did his arms and legs. Everything seemed to weigh him down. Even the air itself seemed to be forcing down a terrible pressure on him. It was the kind of weakness that Charlie could only relate to a bad hangover, only he was certain this was much worse.

There was a stinging ache in his head and it seemed to radiate from a particular spot towards the back. Reaching a hand to feel around there, his fingers met a sticky substance that was cemented into his hair, and when he pulled his hand back to see red smudges on his fingers, he knew it was blood.

"You're awake," Charlie's eyes snapped up to see Locke standing over him. In all the confusion of the passed few moments, he hadn't even noticed the man's presence. Against his will, he groaned again as another spurt of pain shot down his back and went through his arms and legs, all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes.

"What happened?" Charlie's voice came out in a cracked slur, throat parched. It almost felt as though the world was spinning as Locke thrust a water bottle into Charlie's trembling hands. Charlie drank gulps at a time, feeling as though he hadn't had a single drop for days on end.

"I was hoping you could tell _me_ that…" there was an almost regretful tone to Locke's voice. He had hoped that Charlie would remember something, maybe help him to fill in the blanks about the gunman.

Charlie's mind reeled as he attempted to recall something, anything. There was a biting ache at the back of his mind and it stung so badly that Charlie hissed in pain. Despite the extreme discomfort though, Charlie pressed on, wanting to be able to help in any way that he could. He remembered being in a tree. And the stars. He remembered the stars. He didn't know why, but he did. And then it came to mind that he had been in the tree on sentry duty.

"I was on sentry duty…" Charlie mumbled, face contorting into a look of pain as his head continued to throb. Locke looked thoughtfully at him before nodding.

"Yes, but did you see anything suspicious?" Locke couldn't pull the desperate tone from his voice. He couldn't explain the need to know more about the gunman, but it was so strong that he had to press on, "Anything at all?"

With another deep throated groan, Charlie shifted uncomfortably, clamping his eyes tightly closed as he tried to remember. The dark outline of a form, somewhere distant came to mind. He remembered a kind of curiosity he had felt, and then a pang of fear that had followed. As the figure had come closer to his sight, he had known it was a man. But Charlie remembered he had long since climbed out of the tree. He remembered his feet planted firmly on solid ground.

"There was a man…couldn't quite see him…" Charlie muttered, looking to gauge Locke's reaction to this revelation. The man looked slightly pleased, but it was obvious to Charlie that Locke was looking for more.

"Did he say anything to you?" Locke sounded excited all of a sudden, as though he had struck on a gold mine. Charlie only halfway understood, remembering that the man had in fact said something to him, but he couldn't see how it would matter to Locke.

"Just rubbish about some bloody snowmen…" Charlie felt frustrated now, wondering if he was somehow confused. Why would the man have mentioned snowmen? Yet somehow, that had been the most clear memory of them all. He could still hear the man's thickly accented voice as he said it, "He wanted to know if I was _him_…Bloody lunatic if you ask me!"

"Charlie!" came a high pitched cry from the entrance to the cave. Both Locke and Charlie turned at the sound to see a unkempt Claire standing just outside the cave, a squirming Aaron clutched tightly to her chest.

"What _happened_!" there was a panic about her as she hastily approached, falling down on her knees beside where Charlie lay. Locke smiled to himself as he watched the scene, "You look terrible!"

"It's nothing…" Charlie insisted, his face warming with a blush as he watched her stare wide eyed at him. She looked like a mess, as though she had only just woke up. Charlie supposed that one of the other survivors had gone to wake her while he had been out.

Locke smiled on at them, knowing that there wasn't much else that Charlie could give him. It was likely the gunman had knocked him out very soon after realizing that Charlie wasn't who he had though he was. Pulling himself shakily to his feet, Locke thought it best to just leave the two alone for now. He began walking away, wanting to see if Sayid had made any progress with questioning the captive.

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There was a pause. A long and purposefully drawn out silence in which neither wanted to speak, nor could. The air was laced with a tension that was heavier even than before, Kate's words seemingly lingering there. It was as though even as she spoke them, the air around her vibrated, her voice undeniably shaking.

Jack's eyes were wide, a look that could only be described as disbelief stretching across his features. The shock radiated in his eyes, and there was a greater degree of surprise there even than when she had hit him. And it certainly felt as though she had done so again.

Then came the ache. A terrible, racing ache, coursing through every inch of him as her words sank in. And in that moment, Jack knew it would have been better if she had dealt him another physical blow, for this hurt far worse than anything else she could have done would have.

Kate's eyes were fixed on the floor, no longer able to face him. He saw just in that brief moment that he dared to look how her head was hung in shame, tears falling silently down her cheeks. The only sound she made was a tiny sniffling as she continued to cry. Jack turned away, no longer able to face her.

It had been less than a minute since Kate's revelation and Jack felt numb. He felt angry. Under it all, he felt betrayed and even furious. Hot tears burned in his eyes, but he couldn't let her see what she had done. A small part of him still thought she was wrong, that it had all been in the moment. But that wasn't enough to relieve him. It wasn't enough to dull the anger he felt with every bone in his body. The betrayal.

And he couldn't say anything. The silence loomed over him, mocking him in his lack of speaking. He wanted to say something. Anything, but he couldn't think of where to start. He imagined yelling, shouting at her with all that he had, but the weight of it all kept him under a reign of silence. And Jack had no way of knowing that his silence stung her even more than his words could have.

And in a sudden moment of realization, he couldn't be silent anymore. If anything, she needed to know. It was wrong to keep quiet. He was running as surely as she was and it wasn't right.

"I'm not…" the words fell from his lips awkwardly, as though he was unsure he should be saying them. Just by the look in his eyes, there was no doubt that he meant them, but it was obvious he questioned saying them.

The moment of uncertainty lasted only seconds, not even long enough for it all to register in either of their minds. Time had momentarily escaped them, the confusion overwhelming for each. And it an instant it all came crashing down around them.

The door to the cell came crashing open, causing both Jack and Kate to jump. It shattered the silence that had seemed to last forever, crushing the tension. The same men as before, the ones that had taken Kate away rushed into the room. This time they came at Jack, pulling him forcefully to his feet before he could think to protest. And if he had thought of it, he wouldn't have stopped them, no matter how much he would have wanted to. Because he knew that if they didn't take him, didn't use him for whatever it was they wanted, then they would use _her._

As he was pulled toward the door, stumbling painfully as he went, his eyes flashed to Kate's for only a second. Biting his lip, he nodded grimly to her in that moment, as though assuring her of something, though he didn't know what.

When the door was slammed shut behind him, he heard her screams. There was a violent pounding at the door, and sobs like he had never heard from her. She yelled with a fury, beating at the door with her fists, moving with an untamed force. Jack heard her call his name, screaming from behind the metal door with all that she had, that he might hear her. He clamped his eyes tightly shut then, feeling more confused and lost than he had felt yet.

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**A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? I hope that first scene was okay for the PG-13 rating. I'm not trying to push things here, so please let me know if you feel like I should bump my rating! It would really help. As always, I look forward to your feedback, so please review. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! I should have a new chapter up later this week… 


	14. The Deal

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm sorry this update has taken a bit longer than usual. I've been pretty busy lately, and not in the best mood to be writing. One thing you should know before reading this chapter is that the Henry Gale that appears in my fic isn't the same one that's on the show. See, I started planning out plots for Henry after seeing his first appearance on the show, so I really didn't know much about him. And yes, his name really is Henry Gale in my fic, so just disregard anything that happened on the hike to find Henry's balloon. Anything important about Henry will be revealed as my fic goes along, so I think this is about all I need to tell you for now.

Thanks for reading my fic guys and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it…

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**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 13: The Deal**

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The silence of the room was deafening, biting at the back of Jack's skull and ringing in his ears. He could hear the frantic pounding of his heart within his chest, feel the burning of his blood pumping through his veins. Everything was so surreal, as Jack felt himself being thrown through another metal door. The light was blinding, almost possessing a whiteness to it as it dimmed his vision and through him into a haze.

His heart pounded in his ears as he was shoved roughly to his knees, the ropes that bound his wrists tightly behind his back biting into his flesh with a vengeance. Gritting his teeth, he winced as the ropes burned against his already raw skin. Jack felt as though he was choking on his own breath, coughing as he fought just to draw in air.

As the room began to settle, his vision clearing, Jack realized he was far from alone. The two men that had brought him here were standing just behind him, as though ready for any sign of movement on his part. He was surrounded by a line of men dressed similarly to the two he had already seen. He looked at them all in confusion, the realization that they looked nothing like the men that had captured him dawning on him with an odd sense of curiosity.

Any notion he had had of considering what that fact could mean evaporated from his mind when his eyes fell on the man standing directly in front of him, emerald green eyes cutting into Jack's vision like a knife. He knew without so much as a stray thought who this man was, knowing right away at seeing the mass of flaming red hair and the long white lab coat. It had been the same man from his cell.

Swallowing hard, Jack met the man's hard gaze, feeling himself inwardly recoil. The thick sound of the man's chuckling filled Jack's ears, ringing in his head. He felt a wave of anger wash over him at the sound, unable to rid it from his mind.

"I have to say, Jack, I never saw this one coming," the man spoke, voice gruff and dry as he spoke with an amused chuckle, "I always took you as one to take orders, obey them. And they were simple. I was clear. No question what I wanted from you, Jack, none at all," again he chuckled, but a sort of seriousness washed over him in an instant, his emerald eyes gaining a menacing glint, "But you still didn't listen. I told you to bring the boy and she'd go free. Simple as that. But you just didn't listen. And now you'll pay. You'll pay for that, Jack."

Jack felt the two men at each side of him shift and his entire body tensed. Every inch of him still ached from his last try at defiance. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. So he stared in a doomed silence at the man, feeling the bitter strings of defeat slowing wrapping around him.

"And so I asked myself Jack, just what I should do with you," there came that same old grin playing at the edges of the man's mouth, the white of his teeth glinting in the stark light, "Of course my first thought was of the girl…" he paused then, stopping to fix his gaze on Jack.

Jack felt his body tense as he stared the man down, "Don't hurt her…" as much as he had wanted to sound firm, his voice came out with a rocky, shaking texture.

The man just laughed, an amused smile playing at his lips, "I have no intention to," he voiced harshly, eyes never breaking from Jack, "What I wanted from her, I already have. But perhaps that isn't a relief to you, Jack? I don't need her now. Whatever happens to her, its of no consequence to me. Disposable, I think is a fitting word…"

"You said you wouldn't hurt her!" Jack yelled, voice coming out in little more than a low choked growl. He nearly jumped then, unconsciously fighting at his bonds. He felt his heart race wildly within his chest, blood rushing to his face in a fury.

"And I'm completely aware of that, Jack and have every intention of keeping my word," the grin that twisted at the man's lips threw Jack's mind into a whirl that he could hardly have imagined, "But I'm not the only man here, now am I?"

Jack let out a strangled yell, mind falling into a frantic chaos as he was unable to say anything he was thinking. He started to force himself to his feet, stumbling as he fought at the ropes that were biting into his skin. His blood burned as it rushed through his veins, his heart pounding wildly within his chest, resounding in his ears. His pulse roared as he fell forward, flat on his face as he clawed at the floor, grasping for anything to pull him to the man.

Everything was happening so fast, his racing anger consuming him, he hardly heard the tiny click as the man snapped his fingers, hardly felt strong arms pull at him from each side. Jack was jerked back into reality as he felt a sharp kick land in his side, the boot clad foot digging into his ribs with a sickening thud.

He was pulled back to support himself on his knees, his head jerked roughly up to stare at the man once more as his attackers again stepped away. This time Jack didn't break away from the man's gaze, only met it with an intensity he hadn't known he possessed. His breathing came in rough gasps as he fought for air, the force of the kick having knocked the wind out of him.

"You're familiar with Oxymetholone, aren't you Jack? Top notch doctor like yourself probably uses it in some form everyday," the man spoke with a newfound seriousness, the wild amusement no longer present in his face, "For the sake of the lesser minds here, why don't you explain it, Jack? What is Oxymetholone for?"

Jack was silent for several agonizing moments, feigning a need to catch his breath. In reality, he couldn't have been more alert as the wheels turns in his mind, consciousness jumping to a thousand places at once. Seeing the insistence in the man's stare, Jack hardly dared not to speak up.

"It's the main anabolic compound in steroids…" Jack's voice was weighed down, the resistance that had formerly been there pounded out into nothing. His voice wavered as he spoke, mind traveling to all the things this change of conversation could mean.

"Very good, Jack," the man had a false praise to his voice, gaining a mocking tone, "Now I'm sure you've done your homework, so you've probably read some of the theories out there on the effects of Oxymetholone in its pure form. And you'll also know that as far as modern science is concerned, its entirely impossible. But all that aside, Jack, I'm proud to say that through my own vigorous studies, it has been achieved."

"Now unfortunately, its not been tested for human use. I'm a busy man. But I have played with it, Jack and do you know what I found?" the pride was unmistakable in the man's voice. In just that instant, it was almost as though he were speaking to a friendly colleague, bragging about his work rather than threatening a prisoner, "Hostility. With just a tiny dosage on a lab rat, that much was obvious. And do you know what happened when we put him back in his cage with the other rats? He tore them apart. Every last one of them. He killed them all Jack, and it only took him a matter of minutes."

Jack swallowed hard, but continued to listen. He was being given an option. That was all this had ever been and he knew now that he had to know everything. All of the risks, every single aspect of the deal. He had to listen now, as much as he just wanted to hum loudly, yell, scream or just anything to block out the man's voice.

Before he knew it, the man had taken a step closer to him, bending down so that he was suddenly eye level with Jack. He could feel the intensity pouring from the man's emerald orbs, bearing down on Jack with an unspeakable force.

"So Jack, I'm leaving you with a choice," the man just smiled then, though it was far from an amused one. Jack swallowed hard, wanting so desperately to pull out of the emerald gaze, "You can comply, follow orders from here on in, and she'll remain as she is. Or, you can continue to act as you have, fighting me at every corner. But I promise you Jack, you will pay. And not only you. _She_ will pay just as surely as you will. Perhaps more."

"Give me a reason Jack, just one tiny show of defiance, and I will make you my first human test of Oxymetholone. And you know what I'll do then, Jack? I'll put you back in the cell with _her_," the harshness was ever present in the man's voice, his eyes alight with a malicious amusement and a smile so grizzly that Jack couldn't tear it from his racing mind, "So yes, Jack, I won't lay a hand on her. But _you_ will. What happens to her, that's up to you now, Jack…Do I make myself clear?"

He couldn't focus, couldn't force his mind to land on any single thought. If he did, all he could picture was her and a cold look of horror on her face meant only for him. A look of repulsion, of fear and a look that he wouldn't soon forget. It was several moments before he could make himself even think of responding to the man, to even consider snuffing out any notion he had had to throw himself at the man.

After a moment, he nodded his head, eyes clamped tightly shut with the idea of blocking out those menacing eyes which he knew would hold a look of triumph. He wished he couldn't hear the man's sick laughter as he chuckled at Jack's response.

Opening his eyes after several moments, Jack attempted to look anywhere but at the man, but there was nothing he could do to avoid it. He saw the man turn to the side, to the two men that had brought Jack here in the first place. There was a look of utmost amusement written in his emerald eyes, his wisps of fiery hair flicking to the side as he threw his head back in laughter.

"Take him to the exam room, base level," the man barked an order before Jack had even acknowledged that he was speaking. Jack blinked, wondering what else could happen. Somehow though, all he could see in his mind was an ever vivid image of Kate, a look of utmost horror written in her soft features, "Dr. Gale will be in need of a new subject with the girl out of commission. And Jack," the man's attention had suddenly fallen to him again, forcing Jack from his thoughts as the man's gaze bore sharply down on him, "Don't forget our deal. I would hate to have to keep my word."

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"Has he said anything?" Locke questioned, hand on his hip as he gazed at Sayid. The man was leaning his frame against the wall of the cave, standing just to the entrance. He looked thoughtful for a moment, emitting a small chuckle that was far from amused.

"He has said plenty, though none of it useful…" Sayid responded after a moment, shaking his head in obvious frustration, "I don't know what to make of him. None of what he says strikes me as a lie, yet he won't answer anything that truly matters."

"Well what has he said?" Locke asked curiously, raising an eyebrow as he continued to watch the man before him who was now pacing like a caged tiger.

"He says that his name is Desmond, that much is probably true," Sayid said tentatively, speaking slowly as though there was something on his mind he was hesitant to voice. After a moment though, he continued, "He also says that he is a survivor of a shipwreck. He has no knowledge of the whereabouts of his ship, and won't discuss any of it further. The man is unaffected by any of my usual tactics," Sayid paused then, a haunting gleam of menace glowing in the depths of his eyes, slowly drifting to the surface. It sent a chill down Locke's spine.

"Mind if I give it a try then?" Locke asked, speaking carefully as he gauged Sayid's reaction. His lips twisted into the smallest of smiles and he watched as Sayid returned his gaze, eyeing him skeptically.

"I can't see that it would do any harm…" Sayid responded with a sigh, shaking his head in frustration, "Go ahead, but don't give him any unnecessary information. It is highly possible that he is one of them."

Locke nodded, mind running over everything that was about to happen, "And where will I find you when I'm done?"

"I'll be nearby," Sayid responded, voice breaking as his lips stretched into a wide yawn, "Its probably best that I get what little rest that I can." He clapped Locke on the shoulder, nodding supportively to him as he made a slow walk in the direction to the other side of the caves. Locke watched as the man approached Shannon, body slumped over in obvious exhaustion. Smiling, Locke watched as she fussed over Sayid, immediately ushering him into a nearby cave.

Hesitating only for a moment, Locke made his way into the cave, passing through the narrow entrance as his mind jumped to all that he might ask the man once he reached him. Locke couldn't begin to explain it, but he felt drawn to this man. Even through the fear that had pierced him at being held at gunpoint, Locke had seen that this was a man he needed to get to know. It was the same pull that had drawn Locke to the hatch, made him so obsessively willing to do anything to find out more about it. It was a feeling Locke could only describe as the pull of fate, the instruction of the island.

"Ah, I was wondering when I'd be seeing you again, brother…" came a ragged reply, the man's voice cracking. Locke's eyes fell on Desmond, who was hunched back in the farthest corner of the cave, enveloped by shadows.

Stepping closer, the dim torchlight from the mouth of the cave visibly washed over the man's dark form, exposing him to the light. He looked like a mess, hands bound before him, the ropes obviously cutting into his wrists. His face was badly bruised, his right eye shifting from a deep shade of purple and beginning to yellow. Though the rest of his body was completely covered in the odd jumpsuit he was wearing, Locke knew just from looking at the condition of the man's face that Sayid hadn't stopped there.

There was nothing that could make Locke understand how Sayid could bring himself to do this. First with Sawyer, then with Henry Gale. And now this man called Desmond. Locke didn't blame Sayid by any means. He had done what was necessary. In war, no soldier would ever hesitate to act the same and the way Locke saw it, every one of them was currently in a state of war with these mysterious Others. There was just no other way to look at it if one hoped to stay alive.

"It's all nonsense, he says…" Desmond's voice cracked, that same wild gleam shining in his broken eyes. His tumble of brown curls fell in a tangled mess down in his face, "And maybe it is…but you, _you'll_ listen…you'll hear me out…"

"What did he say was nonsense?" Locke asked, brows furrowing as he looked on in confusion at the man, unsure of how to take this sudden outburst.

"The button…its all about the button…" there was a maniacal glint to his eyes, a terrible edge to his cracked voice, but Desmond pressed on in a rush, "It's got to be pushed, I say to him…"

"What button?" Locke asked, eyes widening in sudden curiosity.

"_The_ button, brother…in the Swan…" his voice was desperate now, raspy with a kind of panic. Locke could only look upon him in confusion, "Every 108 minutes, its got to be pushed…"

"What are you talking about?" Locke questioned, every ounce of his attention focused on Desmond.

"Listen to me, brother!" Desmond all but yelled, somehow gaining back his courage as his voice broke from exhaustion, hands trembling within their binds, "It's been well over sixty minutes. The button _must_ be pushed! _You_ have to push it…"

"Why do I have to push the button, Desmond?" Locke asked and was shocked when Desmond's entire body shook with fury, eyes alight with a panicked frustration.

"There's no time for that, brother! We're all going to die…every last one of us, if that button's not pushed!" Desmond shifted wildly, eyes blazing as he stared Locke down.

"And Sayid, he thought this was nonsense?" Locke asked, not yet ready to believe the man. If anything, this threw Desmond into an even more desperate frenzy.

"You don't understand, brother! Its _got_ to be pushed! There's no _time_!" Desmond howled, looking for all the world like he was going to break into a thousand pieces at any moment. Something about the man's behavior caught Locke's attention, made all of his wild claims somehow believable. _The island brought this man to you, John_, a voice resounded in his head, echoing on and on like a mantra.

"And this button, if I press it, will you promise to tell me everything you know?" Locke asked, feeling the need to bargain with this man. He knew in the pit of his stomach that Sayid would not remain sleeping for long and that the first thing he would do would be to continue to interrogate Desmond. The island had brought this man to Locke, and he couldn't allow him to be ruined by Sayid.

"Yes, just _do_ it!" the man pleaded, eyeing Locke as though he was his only possible savior. Locke nodded, feeling suddenly electric with energy, adrenaline coursing through his veins like wildfire.

"Where am I supposed to find it?" Locke asked quickly, preparing himself to take mental notes of everything Desmond said, "What am I supposed to do?"

"You need to run due north from here, just the way you came. Pass through the clearing where you found me and go about a hundred yards. You'll find it then. A big metal door," Desmond explained, wild eyes struggling for composure, though it was obvious he wasn't going to be able to calm down, "Once inside, you'll be in a tunnel. Follow it on through until you're in an open room. Look for a computer. It'll be the only one there. You have to enter the code. 4 8 15 16 23 42 and then hit execute. Again, 4 8 15-"

"I think I've got it…" Locke cut him off, running over the instructions in his mind.

"You've got to hurry, brother!" Desmond all but yelled, eyes begging Locke to just leave, "Remember, 4 8 15 16 23 42 execute!" he called after Locke's retreating form.

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Jack's mind was in a blur as he was again roughly forced into a room, this time the door meriting a code to be punched in. There was a crackling of an intercom just above the door, the static screech echoing through the long hallway.

"Send him in…" came a cracked voice over the intercom, the static all but drowning out his words. The large metal door in front of him immediately slid open, disappearing into the wall. He was thrown forward, back aching form the whiplash feel of it and felt his legs reluctantly move forward, stumbling into the room.

He was thrown immediately to the floor, body slamming into the cold metal with a sickening thud. Jack's face collided with the floor, skin burning as he slid to a stop. He hadn't realized he wasn't breathing until he started again, his eyes darting open as a wave of realization hit him. Jack's mind only began to clear as the sound of the metal door sliding open and the closed again met his ears, the two men leaving him there.

There was an idle clicking sound, the only noise in the room aside from his own ragged breathing. It was an insistent pecking, one that sounded so utterly familiar, so _simple_, yet Jack couldn't place it. Jerking his head painfully to the sound, Jack's eyes fell on its source.

Further in the room, a man sat on a tall backed stool. He was facing a computer, his fingers pecking away at the keys as he logged some kind of information. The man didn't seem to acknowledge Jack, but kept his interest firmly to the computer.

Jack took this tiny instant of peace to take in a long breath, gulping in air as though it was his last. He took in his surroundings then, seeing it all for the first time. The room was much like the other rooms, but there was something very different about this one. Jack tried to make sense of it. It was as though this one was somehow more _civilized_.

The walls were whitewashed, and the entire room had a sterile feel to it, the scent of bleach cleaning in the air. There were countless contraptions strewn around the room. Some round and wiry, others box shaped. There were monitors very similar to ones that Jack had used as a doctor, though some of them seemed very outdated. To his surprise though, most of the machines were of the newest lines, many of which of a like Jack had never seen.

His eyes fell on a shelving system that lined the far wall. It was stocked with hundreds of bottles, all labeled. Jack assumed they contained pills, but who knew in this place? Also on the shelves was a series of syringes, more than outnumbering the pill bottles. _Give me a reason Jack, just one tiny show of defiance, and I will make you my first human test of Oxymetholone. _ The man's words rang clear in Jack's mind, weighing on him. He didn't want to think of what might be in those syringes.

"Hello again, Jack," he nearly jumped as he heard his name being called, the sound of the man's voice splitting the air.

Jack jerked his head up and to the desk where the man sat. He drew in a sharp breath when he realized who it was.

"My name is Dr. Henry Gale, but you already know that…" Gale voiced, a small smile twisting across his lips as he took a step towards Jack. He pulled a clipboard off a nearby desk and then continued the rest of the way, closing the distance between himself and Jack.

Jack wanted nothing more than to just sink into the floor as his eyes followed Henry Gale, glaring daggers at him. The man was walking in a small circle around Jack, looking him up and down as he occasionally scribbled something down on the clipboard.

"I can be a sensible man, Jack…" again Henry's voice split the air as he finished what he was doing and came to a stop directly in front of Jack. He looked down at Jack, his green gray eyes bearing down on him in interest. Henry nodded his head, pointing with his pen to Jack's wrists. Jack flinched, scooting back several inches across the floor, "These bonds, they won't be necessary. Dr. DeGroot has already given you the proposition?"

Hesitating for a moment, Jack met the man's gaze, glaring intensely at him. Gritting his teeth, he nodded. His face held a stone cold expression that seemed to do nothing more than amuse Gale. The man turned away from him briefly, reaching up to one of the shelves Jack had previously been studying. He took a syringe and one of the bottles into one hand, turning back to face Jack.

"Oxymetholone," Henry confirmed, nodding to the bottle. It was clear and filled to the brim with a transparent, yellowish liquid. Jack eyed it cautiously, unable to rid his mind of that same image of Kate, "I think its only fair that I warn you now Jack, that my orders are to give you a full injection at any sign of a struggle."

Jack continued to eye the bottle, never letting it leave his gaze even as Henry placed it back up on the shelf and turned back to face him again.

"I will also warn you that if necessary, I'm armed," Henry's eyes bore a menacing glint as he patted his side, pulling back the long white lab coat just enough to reveal a black leather holster with a handgun securely attached, "Any struggle would be foolish, Jack. It will only cost _you_ in the end. Your friend Kate wasn't too quick to learn that."

"What the hell did you do to her?" Jack's voice came out in a low growl, finally asking the question that had been plaguing him since he had first set eyes on her in the cell.

"Now that is a question I would much prefer to answer as we go along, Jack, as you will be experiencing much of it yourself," Henry replied curtly, once again turning away from Jack to move back to his desk. He had his back turned to Jack, so that Jack never saw the amused grin that stretched over Henry's face, "But the thing you ought to know, Jack, is that you're not asking the right questions…"

Jack sat, dumbfounded at Henry's response, mind jumping to too many thoughts at once. A fury burned within him that whatever he was sure to suffer, Kate already had. That he would sit through it all, knowing that not so long ago she had been through the very same. As calm and collected as Henry seemed, much more so than this man Henry called DeGroot, Jack knew that he was still the bad guy. Henry was just as much to be feared as this DeGroot and was probably capable of much more anyway. There was just something about him, perhaps just the stone cold look in his eyes, the gray glint there, that sent an involuntary shiver down Jack's spine.

"As I said before, Jack, I can be a sensible man," Henry said again, reaching into his desk to pull out a small pocket knife. Jack eyed him suspiciously as he approached and shifted uncomfortably as he knelt down in front of him, "These bonds, they won't be necessary. You've been warned. You know the consequences. Just remember that."

Without another word, Henry swiftly cut the ropes that were securely binding Jack's wrists. The bindings fell loosely to the floor, revealing two pink rings of raw skin around his wrists where they had been. Jack rubbed at the soreness there, flinching at the sting.

As he continued to rub at his wrists, gritting his teeth, Jack spoke up again, "What do you want from us?" Henry chuckled, turning back to face Jack.

"Well, Jack, when it was only _her_, our intentions were very simple," he replied, turning back to his work as he continued to speak to Jack, seemingly uncaring that he was turning his back on an entirely unrestrained prisoner, "She was a hostage, a bargaining chip if you will…all _I _wanted from her was what I want from you now. Cooperation," Henry paused, that same menacing gleam returning to his eyes as he continued in an almost mocking tone, "Now what DeGroot wanted from her, that was entirely _different_…"

Jack felt his blood run cold at this last explanation, not letting the menacing tone go unnoticed. Everything about Henry told Jack that what he was saying and what he meant where two completely different things. Clenching his fists at his sides, Jack felt an anger sweep through him, his arms shaking.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he couldn't help that his voice shook as he spoke, his entire body trembling against his will. A dread like he couldn't begin to explain washed over him as Henry just laughed, gazing upon him with a kind of sick satisfaction.

"What it means Jack is that Dr. DeGroot has his ways and I have mine," Henry explained, voice thick with amusement as his gray eyes bore into Jack's stare, "I prefer to keep strictly to business. Time moves quickly, Jack, and science can't be made to wait. On the other hand, DeGroot has a love for amusement, for _entertainment_ that doesn't pertain to his work…He loves science and is as devoted to its advancement as much as the next man in our organization, but he has other desires, other _needs_…"

It took a moment for Henry's words to dawn on Jack. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, knocking him in the chest and nearly bowling him over. His eyes widened, and after that everything came to him in a blur, eyes burning with a fury as he forced himself to his feet. Jack was almost unaware as he rushed Henry, throwing him roughly over the desk as they both slide and hit the wall. The impact shook Jack, throwing him off just enough for Henry to gain his bearings.

"You bastard!" Jack yelled, an uncontrolled fury coursing through him, gaining full control of his mind. His hands went to Henry's neck, his entire body forcing him further against the wall and preventing him from moving.

To his shock, Henry just laughed, a knowing smile washing over his face, matching the amusement that was alight in his eyes. It all happened so fast that Jack barely had time to register it before it was all over. There was a prick at his neck, followed by a persistent sting. Looking down, he saw a syringe sticking there, impaled into his neck.

Stumbling back, Jack let Henry drop to the floor, falling several steps away, eyes wide with horror. Cringing, Jack jerked the syringe angrily from his beck, dropping it to the floor as he jerked his head to the Henry's desk. There was an empty spot where Henry had left the Oxymetholone. Horrified, Jack realized what he had been injected with just as he stumbled, falling back slowly.

A kind of drowsiness was washing over him, his vision becoming hazy and confused. As he fell to the floor, he could see Henry standing over him, watching him slowly blink as his head spun. He made no move to protest, unable to fight if he had wanted to as Henry stepped behind him, lifting him up by his torso and dragging him across the cold metal floor. Jack was hardly aware as Henry opened the door of a closet like structure that he hadn't noticed before.

He was forced inside as Henry hastily slammed the door behind him. Jack heard the click of a lock as his head fell down onto the floor, slamming against it with a thud. The room was set up like an interrogation room. There was a potted plant in the corner and a table and chairs towards the center. Other items were scattered around, but Jack hardly noticed them.

It felt like an icy cold that spread through his system now, branching out through his bloodstream. Everything about him felt suddenly chilled, numbing him all over. It took only a few more moments for Jack to lose awareness completely. He never fell into a darkness, just lay on the floor with his eyes wide open, unable to comprehend anything.

**

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Locke's heart pounded with excitement, complete and utter anticipation as he stepped from the tunnel into the open room, just as he had been instructed. The picture before him now was nearly indescribably as none of the words that came to Locke's mind could truly credit it. It was like something out of an old science fiction movie, something so unreal yet here it was.

Stepping into the room, Locke's immediately shot up, following the ceiling. His breath caught in his throat, eyes wide at the sight of it. It was in the shape of a dome, yellowed glass panels, reinforced by thick bars of steel to separate them. Wires ran all along the ceiling, along with copper colored piping that ran all along the walls, some all the way to the cement of the floor.

Eyes scanning the room, Locke found it was packed with a series of machines and other contraptions. Two of the big box shaped devices had big wheels atop them, turning slowly around, probably powering them. There was a wide assortment of tiny lights coming from just about everything in the room. Any color imaginable, and Locke could see it blinking from somewhere.

The main lighting itself was lacking. It was all very dim, providing very little into the room. It all seemed so artificial, so fake. He couldn't quite explain it, but everything about the place was just so familiar. He felt a familiar pull, drawing him in further. And it was only then that the thought crossed Locke's mind that something like this, something so obviously man made didn't just spring up out of nowhere in the middle of the jungle.

He was pulled almost immediately from his thoughts as a screeching alarm pierced the air, blaring seemingly from every corner of the room. Locke jumped, body going suddenly alert as his head jerked to each side. He fell into a sickening awareness that he had come unarmed aside from his usual hunting knife. Anyone who could be in a place like this was probably better armed.

_"It's been well over sixty minutes. The button _must_ be pushed! _You_ have to push it…"_

Desmond's voice rang clear in Locke's mind. He was here for a reason. He had known it from the start, from the very moment that he had seen Desmond in that clearing. Whatever the alarm was, it could wait. It _had_ to wait. This button was what he was here for. Fate had brought him here and if it meant to never let him walk out, then that was just the way it would have to be.

Without taking a second thought, Locke darted for the desk that sat in the center of the room, a rather ancient looking computer atop it. Of everything in the room, the computer was perhaps the oddest. Desmond had put so much value in it, claiming that everything depended on it. And Locke believed him. He still did. But even with his faith, Locke had to admit that if anything, this computer looked worse than one that could be purchased at a yard sale. It was incredibly old, outdated. It looked like it was on its last leg.

Again Locke pushed the doubt from his mind, still believing that this was his time. This was fate, and since when did fate have to be pretty? Boone's death was fate. The plane crash and all those who lost their lives, that was all fate. And what was so great about that? What was so attractive about all of the death and destruction that was the face of fate that day? But it was fate none the less. Destiny.

Gazing expectantly at the rounded black screen of the computer, Locke saw a blinking green line. Setting his mind to task, Locke positioned his fingers over the keys and carefully entered in the code, mentally checking it over twice just to be certain it was correct. Eyes locked to the screen in utter determination, Locke hit the execute button, mentally begging for something. Some sign, just anything.

There was a flipping sound and Locke jerked his head up to see a series of numbers on the wall. They were flipping over repeatedly, making the loud clicking noise he had heard. The alarm immediately came to a stop, the room falling into a looming silence. The numbers stopped then, landing on a solid 108:00. Locke saw it then, understanding what it was. A clock.

_"Every 108 minutes it's got to be pushed…"_

That must be it then. A countdown clock for the computer, for the button, Locke mused, suddenly falling into a kind of understanding. Stepping away from the desk, Locke found himself lost in a kind of satisfied awe. Halfway in a daze, he stepped away from the computer and just took in the room.

For what must have been well over an hour, Locke searched through the entire place. He had found a pantry full of food and all kinds of supplies that would be invaluable to the rest of the survivors. There was a kitchen, holding everything from a fridge to a sink. Down the hall from the kitchen there was a bathroom, something Locke was certain everyone would be more than grateful to have, but the icing on the cake was the shower. To think, an actual shower! Locke couldn't remember the last time he had had a good hot shower, just letting the warm water wash over him.

Everything about the place was a mystery. In a way, it had a very closed in feel, almost like a prison. The concrete walls that covered most of the place were far from welcoming, but Locke thought that the rest of what it had to offer more than made up for that fact.

Stepping back into the main computer room, Locke saw something he had failed to notice before. It was an unlit hallway that had attracted his attention, one that looked somehow different from everything else. There was only a moment's hesitation before Locke was walking straight to it, wanting nothing left unexplored. If he was going to bring Sayid and the rest here, he had to know it himself first.

Grabbing a flashlight Locke had found in one of the desk drawers he made his way into the hallway, immediately enveloped by the darkness. He had only walked a few steps before he felt and saw a huge difference in this part of the place. It was considerably colder, so much that the chill came as a shock to him. Locke could feel a kind of dampness about the air, and it was only intensified as he heard water dripping from the ceiling.

Coming around a tight bend, Locke's boot clad feet met dirt, and he almost stumbled as he stepped off of the concrete floor. He was blinded by a sudden light. It was much brighter than the light anywhere else in the place, even the electric lights. And it had a more natural feel to it.

As his eyes adjusted, Locke looked up to find the source of the light and saw that he was looking up into the clear blue sky, shaded by the canopy of trees that marked the jungle. That was when Locke's eyes scanned along the concrete walls that led up the tunnel, falling onto a rusted ladder that only came halfway down from the hole in the ceiling, breaking off several steps down.

Locke dropped the flashlight, nearly stumbling over as his eyes locked onto the broken ladder. Eyes wide, Locke braced himself onto the wall of the tunnel, fully needing it to keep him from falling flat on his face from the shock of it all. The hatch. _His_ hatch. He was here. He had finally made it.

A smile like Locke had never had graced his face, stretching wide across his lips as his eyes twinkled in the warmth of the sunlight. He raised both hands in the air, clamping his eyes tightly shut as tears of utmost joy began to stream down his face. His body collapsed to the ground, face pointed to the heavens, sitting on his knees and just soaking it all in. He was home.

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**A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? As I said before, just disregard whatever is shown about the Others on the show because mine were planned early on in season 2. Chances are they won't be remotely the same. Oh, and I'm sorry there weren't any Kate scenes in this chapter. Don't worry, she should be back by next chapter! Anyway, as always I really love to read your feedback, so please review. I'd _really_ appreciate it! Any questions or concerns are welcome and I'll do my best to answer. Thanks again for reading! Look for a new chapter sometime later this week. 


	15. Testing

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm really sorry this chapter took a few days longer than usual to get out, but I've been really busy lately. Also, this chapter is quite a bit longer than most so far, so it took longer to write. You can thank **October Sky **for that, who was relentlessly pestering me about where she thought the chapter should end. In the end though, I'm very pleased with it, so thanks **October**! You always do such a good job of keeping me in line…

**Disclaimer:** I've been told I have a greater chance of being attacked by a coke machine than of ever owning Lost… _:starts provoking nearest coke machine:_

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_**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 14: Testing**

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Everything was coming in a haze as Jack's eyes first began to flutter, then ceasing at the realization that his eyelids felt as though they were made of lead. Groaning, Jack brought a shaking hand to his forehead, brushing his fingers over his eyes as he winced to fight back the splitting headache.

All his senses seemed to be at a standstill, no single thought coming in clear. In a moment he forced his eyes open, groaning again, slowly, painfully, as the weight of it all fully registered to him. His body, ever single inch of it, was trembling with an uncontrollable force. He shook, shivered even, teeth clattering against his will.

Bringing himself to sit up, Jack felt every muscle in his body burn in protest, a dull ache soaring over him from head to toe. Shaking his head and blinking furiously, his eyes began to slowly fall into a kind of focus, albeit a hazy one. That was when his eyes fell on the figure sitting deathly still in a chair just to his front, watching Jack intently.

"Here," Henry commanded, tossing a bottle of water Jack's way as he gazed intently at him, "You're going to need it."

Taking the bottle in hand, Jack only gave half a glance at its label, somehow unfazed at seeing the now familiar dharma symbol there. An undeniable feeling of thirst ran through him, and he hesitated only briefly before hastily unscrewing the cap and downing the entire bottle of water, swallowing hard.

When Jack finished with the water he gasped for air, breathing hard and fast as he collapsed back down to the floor. Laying on his back, he saw Henry standing over him with a clipboard clutched tightly in hand. He watched as Henry made a slow walk around Jack's exhausted form, occasionally scribbling something down on his notes.

"How do you feel, Jack?" Henry asked casually, ignoring Jack's state of exhaustion. A small smile almost played at the corner of his mouth at the notice of Jack's difficulty breathing and the noticeable look of pain etched in his features.

Jack was silent, eyes clamped tightly shut and teeth clenched. He couldn't grip his mind on anything, no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to know what had happened, what the Oxymetholone had done to him. It took force to even hold that thought in his mind, and immediately an image of Kate drifted into his head. God, what had he done to her? He couldn't even remember. Jack couldn't recall if she had even been there or what might have happened since his last moment of consciousness.

Henry cleared his throat, drawing Jack back out of his thoughts. Still though, Jack refused to answer him. A burning hate was creeping through him for Henry, one that was more than double what it had been before. Just the thought that he might have done something to her because of this man made Jack's blood boil.

"Let it be known, Jack, that that was your final chance," Henry said after a moment, a sick foreboding to his voice. His green eyes bore into Jack, meeting his heavy stare, "My orders from DeGroot were of utmost clarity. I have delayed the enforcement of such an order for the sake of my own purposes. Healthy test subjects are not of the essence, so I'll say it again, Jack. That was your last chance. Anymore defiance on your part, and I _will_ comply with DeGroot."

A breath that Jack hadn't realized he had been holding escaped from his lips then, the release almost refreshing. Kate was okay. Whatever had happened, and he still wasn't sure what, she hadn't been harmed. A kind of weight was lifted off of Jack's shoulders then. Still though, he couldn't deny the confusion of it all. Why hadn't Henry done it? Nothing about this man hinted at decency, yet he had given Jack a second chance.

"Needless to say, it would be in your best interest and Kate's to answer me," Henry said after a moment, a firm purpose in his voice, "I repeat, how are you feeling, Jack?"

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but found the words caught in his throat. His lips were dry and chapped and he felt suddenly parched, as though he hadn't had proper hydration in days. He had just drank an entire bottle of water, so it didn't make any sense. Closing his eyes briefly to clear his head, Jack tried again.

"Like I'm hungover…"Jack choked out, groaning as he did. Henry only smiled, nodding as he scribbled down Jack's response.

"Do you remember anything?" Henry asked, only looking up briefly from his notes. There was a very serious air about him and Jack had no doubt that he was very devoted to his work, as sick as that was in this case.

"No," Jack muttered, still choking on his words, voice dry.

The words had barely escaped his mouth before he felt a kind of pull and then a brilliant flash of white streaked through his mind. Like a memory, he saw himself locked in that same office type compound. There was a kind of frenzy about him, every muscle in his body tense. Jack rushed at the desk, knocking it over with a force that under normal circumstances would have been impossible for him.

All of it was fuzzy, barely visible to him but still he saw himself thrashing the room, knocking down all of the furniture and yelling a the top of his lungs. There was a kind of ferocity about him, an animalistic way that was so far from what he was that it made Jack shiver.

"How is your vision?" Henry asked, now staring intently at Jack. The man's words immediately drew Jack from his own thoughts. He found his heart beating wildly within his chest, beads of sweat building at his brow as he recognized what he had been thinking of.

"I-it's…fine…" he barely choked out, turning his head every which way as though frantically looking for something. Henry paid him no thought though and simply turned back to his notes, carefully writing everything down.

Finally, Jack's eyes landed on the half open door to the room Henry had locked him in. A flash of an image came to mind, the last image he could remember before he had drifted off into whatever state he had been in while the drug had him in its grip. The picture he held in his mind was of the room just as he drifted off. He remembered it being very neat and well kept. There was furniture, all placed cleanly throughout the room.

Now though, Jack could see just from the distant doorway that the room was in shambles. All of the furniture had been tossed aside, most of it broken in some way. The door to the room itself looked as though it was reasonably more battered. Jack could see sprinkles and mounds of dirt scattered across the floor and it was then that he remembered there had been a potted plant in the room, sitting neatly in the corner.

It was only then that Jack dared to look down at his hands. He stretched them out in front of him, tipping his palms up to meet his gaze. They were filthy, dirt etched into the skin of his palms and stuck up under his fingernails. It was fresh, some of it still able to fall loosely off his skin. Jack stared horrified at his hands, eyes wide and he realized the meaning.

Turning back to Henry, Jack watched as the man's eyes followed his gaze, shortly landing on the half open door. A slow, chilling smile twisted along Henry's face, a kind of pride shining in his eyes.

"The affects of Oxymetholone," Henry confirmed, lightly chuckling at the horrified look in Jack's eyes, "Amazing, isn't it?" he mused, briefly just staring at the room as though deep in thought, "Look there where you dented the door," Henry pointed at a large indent on the door and how it was lightly hanging on its bottom hinge where it had been broken, "No man can do that. Its just unthinkable. Truly amazing…"

"So, is this what the Dharma Initiative is all about? Oxymetholone?" Jack asked, breathing hard as he panted for air. He gazed intently at Henry, laughing bitterly as he asked the question.

Henry's entire face contorted in laughter, his entire form bent over momentarily as he chuckled, looking at Jack almost in disbelief, "The Oxymetholone? That's nothing…_Nothing_! It's trivial…if you only _knew_. We are about so much more than that. _So_ much more! All that I've accomplished here…All that Dr. DeGroot has done…"

Jack looked stunned. So the Oxymetholone wasn't their secret? Jack knew that any modern scientist would kill for the chance to know how Dharma had done it. It was a big thing. An impossible thing, by all previously believed standards. Yet Dharma had done it. And there was still more, still _better_. Jack just couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"The world has never seen something like the Dharma Initiative," Henry commented after a moment, looking absolutely star struck as he spoke. His eyes weren't on Jack or his notes. He was focused on some unseen thing in the distance, as though lost in thought, "And it never will again."

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"John!" Locke heard his name being called as he stepped into the caves, but he kept on walking as though in a daze, "_John_!" It was only on the second call of his name being yelled across the caves that Locke looked up to see Sayid jogging over to him, a look of confused anger written in his features.

"Where were you?" Sayid asked, voice almost incredulous with the beginnings of anger as he met Locke with a hard stare.

"I can explain that later," Locke said hastily, looking passed Sayid as though completely distracted and uncaring.

"John!" Sayid yelled, pulling him back to reality. There was a fury burning in his eyes now, "Where _were_ you? You were supposed to watch him! Anything could have happened!"

"I know, but Sayid this has to wait," Locke seemed rushed and this time he stepped forward, attempting to brush passed Sayid. Sayid stayed firm and Locke only succeeded in bumping right into him, "I have to talk to Desmond, Sayid…"

"Whatever it is, it can wait!" Sayid snapped, looking furiously at Locke, "Have you any idea what you risked? You left here in the middle of the night without telling _anyone_. And not only that, but you left _him_ here, unguarded. _Anything_ could have happened, John!"

"I know, Sayid, and you're right, but right now I've got to do something," this time Locke succeeded in moving passed Sayid and he didn't wait for a reply before he began making his way at a light jog over to the cave Desmond was being kept in.

"John! _John_!" Locke heard Sayid yelled, and wasn't at all surprised when he heard the man's rushed footsteps coming up behind him, rushing after him.

Stepping into the cave, Locke's eye fell immediately onto Desmond's hunched form and a small smile slid across his face. He felt as though a skip was in his step, and he had a distinct desire to whistle happily as he continued in his approach. He was quickly drawn from his silent joy however as he felt a hand slide over his shoulder, roughly turning him around to face his attacker.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sayid snapped, looking angrily at Locke, a frenzied confusion written clearly on his face.

"I told you, I have to talk to him," Locke said with a feigned patience, though he had never felt so rushed in his life, "It's important, Sayid…"

"He's one of _them_!" Sayid boomed, looking altogether ready to strangle Locke, "Anything you tell him will go straight to them. Is that what you want?"

"Sayid, he's not what you think-" Locke began, but was sharply cut off by Sayid.

"And how would you know that?" Sayid interrupted, looking on at Locke with a protective fury. Locke understood, he really did. And he wanted to be patient with Sayid. He knew that the man was under a lot of stress since Jack left. He could see Sayid's need to keep everything under control. But Locke couldn't let him overrule him on this.

"I saw something out there, Sayid," Locke's voice was touched with a new joy, eye alight with a kind of satisfaction that made Sayid falter for a moment, looking on at Locke in confusion, "Something amazing. And he, Desmond, led me to it. He isn't one of them, Sayid. I know he isn't."

"What are you talking about, John?" Sayid looked suspicious of Locke, suddenly distrusting of him. And again, Locke couldn't help but understand, despite his feelings of frustration at Sayid's behavior.

"The hatch…I made it into the hatch…" Locke's voice went suddenly quiet, everything about him in a kind of awe. Sayid had no doubt that Locke was being truthful of everything he said, yet he still found all of it hard to believe.

"The button!" Desmond's cracked voice split the air suddenly, drawing the attention of both men, "Did you push the button, brother?" The desperation in his voice could not be mistaken.

"Yes…yes, everything's fine," Locke responded, almost forgetting that Sayid was even present, "You said you would explain it…"

"You made a deal with him?" Again the anger was present in Sayid's voice, and Locke wanted nothing more than to just shut the man out, but he knew that if this was going to go anywhere, this had to be resolved.

"I had to, Sayid and it was for the best," Locke spoke calmly, trying to reassure him, though knowing it wasn't going to be easy, "He showed me a different way into the hatch. You need to see it, Sayid. You'll understand-"

"I'll understand nothing, John!" Sayid yelled, eyes alight with fury as he looked from Locke to Desmond, "He's one of them and doing anything he says is completely mad! What were you _thinking_, John? It could easily have been a trap, or worse…"

Locke was about to respond, knowing that he had to do whatever it took to make Sayid see, but he was cut off by Desmond's voice.

"Whatever it is you think I am, I'm not," he spoke calmly, quietly, the most collected words he had heard the man utter yet. Up until this point, he had been in some kind of wild frenzy, unable to say anything clearly. Now though, there seemed to be the tiniest bit of assurance in his voice, "I crashed here, just like you did, brother…"

"He's telling the truth, Sayid…" Locke pressed, eyes bearing down onto Sayid's rigid form, watching as the man looked absolutely unsure.

"So he's shown you the hatch," Sayid began, this time taking on a new angle. If there was one thing he knew, it was that there were thousands of reasons this man couldn't be trusted, no matter what Locke had brought himself to think, "What makes you think your hatch doesn't belong to _them_?"

"I can't…I can't prove _anything_, Sayid," Locke began, eyes distant as he carefully chose his words. The smallest of smiles was playing at the corner of his mouth, dancing in his eyes, "We were all brought here for a reason. When I saw that hatch, when Boone and I began to dig it up, I found _my_ purpose, Sayid. Desmond is connected to that hatch and he's connected to my purpose here. It's fate, all of it."

"You took a risk, John, a _risk_!" Sayid hissed, looking furiously at Locke once again, fuming, "It might have cost you your life…"

"And what is life worth without purpose?" Locke countered, looking thoughtfully at Sayid. For a split second, Sayid looked as though he was lost in some other time, distracted by another place. In that brief moment a look of scarred pain flashed through his eyes, but it was gone in an instant only to be replaced by anger.

"And what about the rest of us, John? Your life wasn't the only one at stake!" Sayid shouted, anger boiling within him and blazing in his eyes, "If something had happened, if you had let him lead you into a trap, it would have cost us all! You risked the lives of every man, woman and child here, John and you had no _right!_ And now you ask me to believe you, to listen to you tell me who this man is, a man you don't even _know_!"

"Why is this so hard for you to believe, Sayid?" Locke asked, voice suddenly gentle. A newfound peace washed over him, and he couldn't explain it, but he was sure without even thinking about it that in the end, he would convince Sayid.

"Because when I find a door with no handle on an island in the middle of nowhere, an island with polar bears and things that pull a tree out of the ground by its roots, the last thing I would think to do is open that door…" Sayid's voice was suddenly low, no longer shouting. The anger and the betrayal were still clear in his tone, but it was as if he had taken on a whole new demeanor, "Tell me John, what makes it so easy for you to believe?"

"It's never _been_ easy, Sayid!" Locke yelled suddenly, raising his voice for the first time during the argument. He paused briefly, breathing hard as he clamped his eyes shut. He struggled for the right words, "All that time I was digging up the hatch, every day I wondered what I was doing. It's like when you're young and your parents tell you to do something. You know you have to do it, but you just don't know _why_. And that killed me for so long, just not knowing. Because knowing that I had to just wasn't enough. But that's when I had faith, Sayid. Faith that even though nothing seemed to be going right, that it was all going to work out in the end. And it _did_. I don't know how I can prove it to you or explain it to you, Sayid. You're just going to have to have faith…"

There was a long pause as a silence washed over the cave. Not one of the three men dared to speak, none of them really knowing what should be said. Sayid couldn't think straight, couldn't grasp any reason for what he was considering just now. How could he even think of giving in to Locke's faith? Everything he had ever learned and experienced in the Republican Guard told him it was foolishness, that this hatch was not to be meddled with. The hatch had never been his doing in the first place. It had been Locke's idea to unearth it and Jack's idea to blow it open. But suddenly, Sayid found himself ultimately in charge of its fate and that wasn't an idea he liked.

"Take me to your hatch, Locke…" the words barely escaped his lips, a huge part of him not wanting to voice them. But he did, and when they were said he was sure. He would go to the hatch and he would see for himself.

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It seemed as though hours had passed since Jack had awoke from the grip of the Oxymetholone, the traces of the drug still biting at the back of his mind. He had no way of knowing how long he had actually been sitting there, watching as Henry tampered with this and that in the exam room, but it had been a while. And still Jack could feel that presence, the sickening grip it had on his mind. It was like a deadweight, pulling him down and making his limbs feel as though they were made of lead.

Jack had simply sat there, watching Henry at work, and wondering where any of this was going. He didn't want to think of it, didn't want to know what the man was up to, but he couldn't deny that there was a part of him that did. It was the part of him that held tightly to Henry's words, remembering his mention that the Oxymetholone was only the beginning.

"Do you know what I'm doing, Jack?" Henry spoke up for the first time in what felt like an eternity, the thickness of his voice dropping hard against Jack's ears, sounding almost foreign amongst the silence. When Jack made no move of responding, not even a shake of his head, only a blank, steady stare, Henry pressed on.

"I study pain, Jack. On an intellectual scale, naturally, but do you know what I've found?" Again Jack made no move to respond, and Henry simply smiled, allowing the shallow grin to spread across his features, "Anticipation, Jack. All aspects of pain come down to one thing. Anticipation. You know that I am about to do something. You've known that for the past hour and a half, perhaps even longer than that. You knew even better what was to happen to you when you made the deal with DeGroot for Kate. And that's what makes it all the more natural in the end. That you knew of it, you _anticipated_ it. Pain is always so much worse on the body when its knowingly given."

"In the days before you arrived, I had this very conversation with Kate," Henry continued on, not failing to notice the growing tension in Jack's demeanor, or the fact that his hands were now unconsciously balled into fists at his sides, gripping at the sides of his chair, "But do you know I hardly believe she heard a word of it? Anticipation, Jack. It bred fear in her and it ran deep," again Henry's lips twisted into a lazy grin, watching for Jack's reaction. It came instantaneously, at first nothing but a warm glint glowing in the depths of his deep brown orbs, but soon settling into a blazing inferno, flashing angrily within his eyes.

"She wasn't like you, Jack. She had no motivation to cooperate, not after DeGroot was finished with her. Within two days, it was as though she hardly had the will to keep herself alive. The only noticeable change came with the pain. She would cry out then, yelling something terrible. I believe I mentioned that fact to you the first time we met, didn't I Jack? The way she called for you when the pain came," Henry laughed then, an unmistakable grin spreading across his face, a strange satisfaction dancing in his eyes.

Henry hardly looked surprised when Jack all but leapt up from his seat, the chair sliding back several feet from the harsh movement. Jack couldn't explain the fury of thoughts storming through his head, but found himself blindly recalling the anger that had coursed through his veins just before he had been injected with the Oxymetholone. He saw himself pressing Henry roughly against the wall as he had then. Every muscle in his body ached for action, for something to be done. It was like a violent pull in the back of his mind, a burning anger soaring through him.

"How could you do that to her?" Jack shouted, fighting at the hot tears that burned at him and the surge of violence that had rushed over him, "How could you do that to _anyone_?"

"It's my duty, Jack," Henry replied calmly, a collective peace about him as he gazed at Jack almost in bewilderment, "Surely as a doctor you must understand that! Science is life. Science is _everything_. It must be advanced at all costs…I was simply doing what had to be done…"

"She never did anything to you!" Jack's voice boomed in disbelief, echoing through the depths of the room, "She's a good person…"

"Even if that were true, its beyond the point, Jack," Henry replied, looking altogether as though he knew something Jack didn't. Jack thought briefly to Kate's mugshot, and he couldn't help but wonder if somehow Henry knew, "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are ordinary, and those who are extraordinary. Now, obviously, ordinary men must be bound by ordinary laws of society and nature. But the catch that many fail to see is that the extraordinary bear no boundaries…"

"So you think you have the right to hurt people because you're smart?" Jack yelled in disbelief, looking horrified at Henry.

"Not at all! Far from it, Jack. The extraordinary, no matter how brilliant, cannot just go around killing on a whim," Henry looked almost shocked at Jack's statement, "However, if an extraordinary man must take the life of another for the sake of preserving his brilliance, then it is his duty and his right to do so. Take for example a man like Sir Isaac Newton. Do you imagine that if he had to choose between making his discoveries on optics and integral calculus or the life of a single human being, he would choose to save the man's life? No, he would have pressed on with his discoveries, sacrificing the one life for the sake of the world."

"This is sick…its _wrong_!" Jack yelled suddenly, fury blazing in his eyes as a look of shock registered in his features, "Who do you think you _are_?"

Henry only laughed, "If you're implying that I'm calling myself extraordinary, let me assure you I'm not. I'm brilliant perhaps, but I'm _nothing_ compared to Dr. DeGroot. _He_ is an extraordinary man, unlike any for centuries. I only act for him, work as his instrument. The pain I caused Kate, that was all to preserve DeGroot's own discoveries…to give them life. Everything that has happened here, it was all in the name of science, Jack…"

And Jack was lost in a stony silence, completely transfixed on the horror that was engulfing his mind. This man, this sick, conscienceless man had gotten his hands on Kate. All those nights, all the time that he had wondered what had happened to her, what they were _doing_ to her, Henry Gale had had her all along. And he had been the one to _hurt _her. Not like DeGroot did, but what difference did that really make in the end? He had taken a person who had never done anything to him and caused them pain. And here he was about to do it again, only this time to Jack.

Stealing himself from his thoughts, his dread, Jack attempted to speak but again the words caught in his throat. He gasped, finally able to say something, "Do whatever you want to me…" Jack submitted, voice coming out in a strangled sob. His entire body shook, an unthinkable anger coursing through him, biting at his very consciousness, "Just leave her alone…don't ever touch her again. Don't even _look_ at her again…"

"I'm glad you see it that way, Jack…" Henry voiced, practically beaming as his hard stare bore into Jack, "Now that we both understand one another, I think it's a good time to get started with the _real_ reason you're here."

Jack watched as Henry turned his back to him, making his way toward the shelves of vaccines. He felt a shiver of dread run down his spine, chilling him all over as he watched Henry study each of the jars, reading over the labels. Finally Henry reached up and picked a bottle off the shelf. Jack only half watched as the man reached for a syringe and began filling it with the clear substance inside.

"I expect you're familiar with Ketamine?" Henry asked as he fumbled with the syringe, moving back and forth between the shelf of bottles and his work desk.

Jack nodded, somehow finding his voice, "Common form of anesthetic…" his voice came out raspier than intended, calmer than his outward demeanor might suggest. On the surface, every inch of him was trembling and if he was thinking properly, he'd be beating himself up for letting Henry see his fear.

"Very good…" Henry commented, continuing with what he was doing and not bothering to turn back to Jack, "Depending on your position, you may also have heard of a closely related substance, Ayahuasca…"

"Its some kind of hallucinogenic that's trafficked to the US from South American countries…I know it was a major problem for a while because of a side affect it had…" Jack responded, searching his mind for any knowledge he had of the drug. He felt like he was an intern again, just out of med school trying to answer an impatient attending.

Henry laughed, that same menacing smile stretching across his face. Jack couldn't quite see him though, for Henry still had his back turned to him, "Yes, its highly illegal in most countries and can be very dangerous if taken in improper doses. Its traditional use is by natives of the Amazon as a religious sacrament. As you know, Jack, any chemical substance extracted from plants is very fragile and easily molded. Needless to say, it made a perfect material for DeGroot to test his theories on the control of hallucinations. Through his work, he has managed to mutate it into what I have called salvia divinorum. Its named for its properties as a dissociative and its basic use of sensory deprivation."

Setting down the bottle and syringe on his desk, Henry moved toward Jack, ignoring the other man's wide eyed look. If anything, it amused him. It always entertained him to see people react who didn't share his beliefs in science. He knew that as much as Jack was a man of science, a doctor at that, he still didn't understand. Henry laughed at the thought. Jack actually thought what the Dharma Initiative had done over the years was somehow _wrong_.

"Before we begin, I need to get you hooked up to the BP monitor behind you," Henry said calmly, doing the best he could to dim the growing excitement within him. There was nothing like preparing for a test, especially one as big as this. It wasn't often that Henry got such a chance, "Keeping an eye on your heartbeat is crucial for what we are about to do. If I happened to overdose you, even a single milliliter, it could be fatal. In my professional opinion, your best case scenario in the event of an overdose would severe brain damage or drifting into a permanent vegetative state."

As Henry said all of this, he reached mindfully behind Jack and began lifting the wires that hung from the main screen of the monitor. Jack recognized the machine immediately, even from the corner of his eye. It was a fairly simple, and somewhat outdated model of the blood pressure monitor that was used in the ER at the hospital where he worked.

"You're going to need to take your shirt off," Jack was drawn from his speculations by the sound of Henry's voice. He felt almost frozen as he jumped to obey, moving to undo the buttons of his shirt with trembling fingers. He hastily tugged the shirt over his head, hands shaking too badly to properly undo all the buttons.

"Lean back," Henry ordered as soon as Jack was free of his shirt. Trying his best to stay calm, Jack moved to lay back in the cold metal chair, his arms resting flat against the arm rests at each side. Maybe it was only then that he noticed the thick leather restraints there, waiting to be fastened. He swallowed hard, eyes darting quickly off into the distance.

Jack tried to keep still as he felt the wires being fastened loosely to his chest, held securely in place by tiny strips of medical tape. His entire frame shook, trembling beyond his control. Clamping his eyes closed, Jack did all that he could to avoid thinking of what was coming. _Anticipation, Jack; all aspects of pain come down to anticipation. _As hard as he tried, he couldn't drive Henry's words of warning from his mind, couldn't escape the inevitable truth that Henry was right. It _did_ breed fear, a fear so deep that it was like nothing Jack had ever felt.

There was an idle hum sounding just behind him. Turning his head, Jack saw the machine come to life and he realized that Henry had started it up. He heard the steady sound of his heart beat on the monitor and the thin green line bouncing up and down the screen in a healthy pattern.

He was so consumed in his own thoughts, eyes fixed on the screen of the BP monitor, that Jack hardly noticed as Henry began to secure the restraints of the chair around Jack's arms, tightening them with the metal buckle. Jack's arms tensed as the smooth nylon of the straps tightened around his biceps, inwardly wincing. Before he knew it, Henry was standing back in front of him, syringe in hand.

"And here we are, Jack," Henry broke the silence suddenly, a sickening calmness to his voice. A wide smile played at his lips, stretching across his face, "The moment of truth. Are you ready?"

Henry paused only a moment, but simply let out a low chuckle, as though he hadn't expected a response from Jack anyway. He closed the distance between them then, reaching out and gripping Jack's arm.

The first thing Jack felt was a prick, a tiny, almost unnoticed prick at his skin. It was followed by a light tingling that soon grew into a idle sting. Jack felt the needle being pulled roughly from his arm and was dimly aware of Henry stepping away.

And suddenly it swept through him. It started in his arm, just were the needle had been, but soon spread in a wild sensation down his arm, moving up his shoulder and through his torso until it drifted down to the tips of his toes. It was like a cool chill at first, washing over him as he shivered ever so slightly between trembling. But all at once it became lukewarm, slowly heating up until it felt like a soaring burn beneath his skin.

It gripped him like a pull at the back of his head, jerking him in a way that felt like a physical body behind him, tugging him back. But somehow, he was dimly aware that he hadn't moved. It came on without warning. His body began to twitch, throwing him into a near seizure as he gripped at the seat, trying control the violent jerks and twists.

There was a jolt of pain, like a burst of electricity shooting through him. It scorched beneath his skin, biting at him with a stinging zap. Jack groaned at the ache of it, clamping his eyes shut and breathing hard. He gripped at the seat, body jerking uncomfortably.

The pain soared to an utmost high and in that split second it was as though his skin had burst. He felt that same pull, only this time it came in a flash. Everything in the room began to spin until it was nothing but a white blur. That was the last thing Jack saw before he let out a piercing cry of terror, eyes gripped with a burning pain.

**

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**

Kate seemed almost in a trance as she sat hunched in the corner of the cell. She had her arms pulled up tightly to her chest, her arms wrapped securely around her knees. Her knuckles were white from the intensity of her grip. She bit her lip, eyes clamped tightly closed as she rocked herself back and forth, hot tears burning at her.

Everything about her was distant. Her eyes looked gone, the one time sparkle of life within her emerald orbs now only the tiniest of flickers. The warmth of her skin, the natural blush and sun kissed tone having long since vanished, only to be replaced with a pale, washed out look. Kate's hair was a tangled mess, falling down in a lazy tumble over her shoulders.

He was gone. They had taken him from her and she was alone again. Just as she had been before. Kate could feel a phantom presence around her, the feel of his hands on her shoulders, his fingertips brushing her cheeks. It fell on her like a whisper, washing over her in such a way that she could have sworn it was real. So much of her wanted to believe that it was real, that he was really still there with her.

Her entire body shook with a fear she hadn't known she possessed. She thought they had beat it out of her long ago, whittling her down until she was this fragment of a person, half of what she had been before. There were times she could swear she didn't even remember her own name. Times she forgot what it was like to feel the pain. Times when she could scarcely feel _anything_.

It was then, as she was lost in her own misery, rocking back and forth on her knees that she first heard it. It was barely audible at first, coming in at only a faint whisper or a distant sound. She could only begin to make it out, but soon it was so agonizingly clear to her that she only wished she could drown it out.

A scream. A single blood curdling scream that was so terror stricken, so _wrong_ that Kate's breath caught in her throat. For that single agonizing moment that she first heard it, she couldn't breath. She couldn't blink. She could only listen and wait in horror at what it was. It was so base, so animalistic and feral. There was a wildness to it, a terrible familiarity. Yet it was so distant that she couldn't place it.

When it came again, it was fuller this time, more pronounced. A shout of pain, of the worst kind of agony. It was deep, cutting at her ears and piercing the air. And suddenly it rang clear to her. In that single instant, she _knew_. It was him. _Him_. Jack.

The realization hit her with such an intensity that she could scarcely breathe. Her lips parted, as if to speak, face contorted in a kind of agony and she cried out. Her body was wracked suddenly with a fit of sobs, doubling over as the hot tears fell in a torrent down her cheeks.

"Jack…" her voice came out in a harsh whisper, cracked and broken, "Jack!" she yelled now, pounding her fists against the cold concrete of the floor, voice cracking as she continued to yell between sobs, "Jack! _Jack_!"

And still his pain filled shrieks met her ears, his yells piercing the air. Her mind was in a panic, picturing his face, seeing an image of him as he yelled. She couldn't imagine it, couldn't rationalize any kind of picture in her mind of what he might look like now. She just couldn't see it, couldn't begin to place Jack in such pain.

The yelling went on, seemingly never ending. And she thought of her time out of the cell and the things they had done to her. An image of a short, stalky man with pallid skin and haunting green eyes. She remembered the blinding pain he had caused her, the sound of her screams as she yelled for her life. As she yelled for Jack. That had been when she still believed he was coming for her.

And now the sound of his own screams bit at her consciousness, piercing into her very being. She cried, tears streaming openly down her face, burning salty tracks as they fell. And she continued to rock, body wracked with a fit of sobs as her mind drifted, trying to block out his cries. She knew she never would.

**

* * *

**

It came on in a sudden burst of hit, exploding through him and shaking him to the very core. Jack felt his body fall back, writhing as he hit the cold cement floor. Every inch of him was alive with a kind of dill ache that soared through his senses, capturing his very being.

Jack was dimly aware of his surroundings, but it was the strangest thing for he felt as though he were in the same room, only now there was nothing in it. He saw only a blank whiteness, standing starkly in his line of vision. Parts of the room even seemed to spin, nothing ever staying still, but moving painfully fast.

A new kind of movement caught his attention, almost dulling the pain as suddenly his mind could focus only on what he saw. It was like a standstill in his senses, even his mind starting to freeze over in a kind of dreamlike state. The pulling at the back of his head seemed almost to vanish, though its presence was still painfully clear to Jack.

The blur in the corner of Jack's vision began to slowly take shape, becoming more visible with each passing second. It soon transformed into a solid figure, one that somehow still blended into the vast space surrounding Jack. It was then that he recognized the figure as that of Henry, moving just to Jack's right.

Everything came in a dull haze, though parts were completely clear. His mind felt heavy, the obvious affects of being under the grip of a drug. He watched as Henry moved forward, a tiny flickering light coming from the man's hand. Jack's eyes gripped immediately to the faint glow, holding his gaze to it as he saw what it was. It was a plain wax candle, supported in an old fashioned brass holder.

Jack was still, muscles tense and frozen as Henry continued to approach, stopping only when he was right in front of him. He felt hands grip harshly at his shoulders, as though trying to hold him firmly in place. His hands were no longer tied, nor was he bound to the chair. All of his limbs were completely loose, held down only by the very real threat of the man standing behind him.

Though he couldn't explain how he knew, Jack realized suddenly that there were several other men standing behind him. He could see even more out of the corner of his eye, though he dared not turn his head to look. He hardly glanced with his eyes, keeping them straight ahead on Henry and the flickering of the candle.

It had a menacing glow to it, its warmth somehow flooding him, though the flame itself was about the size of a dime. It very presence brought beads of sweat to Jack's brow and he couldn't explain the obvious sense of dread that washed over him the longer he kept his gaze on the flame, its fire lighting up his eyes.

Everything seemed silent, yet utterly noisy all at once as the hands on his shoulders slipped down his arms, now holding onto his wrists. Another pair of hands moved to Jack's left arm and pulled it roughly behind his back, pinning it there. Jack tried to fight him off at first but received a painful cuff in the ear from the man to his right.

Jack watched as Henry set the candle out on the table before him. Henry nodded to the man at Jack's right, a sudden coldness washing over his features that had never been present before. That sick gleam of amusement was gone. Just an out of place seriousness that sent chills down Jack's spine.

Without warning, he felt the muscles tense in his right arm as the man lifted it from the table and began pulling it forward. The man's intentions because suddenly clear and Jack immediately tried to jerk away, only to be pulled roughly forward again. This time yet another pair of hands held him down, gripping him almost in a neck lock.

Again Jack fought against his captors, this time more desperately as he saw his fingers nearing the flame of the candle. A wide grin spread across Henry's face as the man brought Jack's hand to hover just out of reach of the flame, its dull heat warming the skin there. With another nod, the man pushed Jack's hand down.

It came so suddenly that Jack almost hadn't expected it. It came first as nothing, all pain and feeling completely escaping him as his fingers felt entirely numb. And then a white hot pain seared through him, starting at the tips of his fingers and racing up the entire length of his arm. It was as though his whole arm had been set ablaze and no effort was being put into dowsing the fire.

Jack yelled, voice coming out in a choked groan at first. It soon calculated into a full on shout of pain, his voice echoing over the vast expanse of the room. He yelled, fought, feet lashing out beneath the table, occasionally colliding with the table's legs. The pain was so intense, it sent sparks of fire throughout him.

Just as suddenly as it had started, his hand was pulled straight from the flame and allowed to clatter down onto the firmness of the table. He hissed in pain, reeling as he realized the heat of the flame wasn't dimming in the slightest. It was still there, toasting his flesh and eating away at him. Eyes clamped shut, his body writhed, the pain more real than anything he had ever felt.

He shouted again as he felt his hand numbly lifted back to the flame. The sound of his own screams pierced the air, filling his ears with the evidence of his pain and terror. It all sounded the same now, the yells blurring together as one. It sounded like an idle hum in his mind, the pain the only thing real to him now.

**

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**

Everything was silent as Kate sat alone in the cell, the concrete walls feeling more consuming than they ever had before. She felt a vicious stab of loneliness, something she wasn't prone to feeling too often. While on the run, she had become numb to her need for others, for the closeness of human contact of any kind. And she'd proven as much even on the island.

But there was something about captivity, something she had never truly faced, that made her conscience want to bend all the rules. Now, laying in a broken heap on the floor, knees brought up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. She was curled on her side, facing the wall, the pains of solitude consuming her as they never had before.

The silence all but sealed the deal, making the truth of her situation that much more real to her. Though the shadows hid it well, there were raw tear tracks like red stripes on her face, staining her cheeks. Her eyes looked swollen and soggy, only now dry after hours of crying. Everything about her appearance held the obvious signs of someone broken. Her hair fell down in a tangled mess in her face, giving her eyes a kind of refuge.

And even now, after the tears had long since gone, she could still hear the sound of her ragged breathing. Occasionally she would let out a tiny whimper, feeling almost at the verge of tears again, but finding she had none left to cry. The sound of his shouting rang ever clear in her ears, embedded so deeply in her mind that she doubted she would ever be able to escape them. They were etched into her conscious, her very being. It was all she could hear, the only thing that could break her away from the looming silence.

Kate found herself picturing his face. She saw him sitting out along the shoreline, bare feet stretched leisurely out in front of him as he leaned back on the flat of his palms. It was one of her favorite images of him, one that she remembered from a time not so long after she had first met him the day of the crash. His hair was still cut in a straight, short cropped fashion, hardly disturbed by the rugged life on the island. His face was still more cleanly shaven, only a light stubble there. He wore that same dress shirt he had been wearing since that first day, only now it was torn and spread over with dirt and grime. It hung loosely on his shoulders, buttons open down the front to reveal a kind of undershirt beneath.

It was an image Kate dug deep into her mind for, finding it almost hard to place after all that had happened. It felt distant, as thought from a different life. The Jack Sheppard that had sat so peacefully on the beach that day, toes buried beneath the damp sand as the tide lapped up around his ankles was a different man. He was changed by what had become of him since and Kate couldn't help but think she was to blame for that. For him being here. For the screams. _His_ screams.

Kate was drawn immediately from her thoughts, the image of Jack vanishing as the sound of the metal door being opened met her ears. Her body jerked as she hastily turned herself to face the sound, eyes wide as she now faced the door. She still lay on the floor, looking up at the opening in the door when she saw him being thrown roughly through it.

"Jack!" she squeaked, voice cracking as she scrambled to her feet. It all came out in a light whimper, overtaking her voice. Kate was at his side in a matter of moments, taking in his ragged appearance as her eyes shifted over his form.

He lay face first against the concrete floor, head turned away from her. A panic washed over her suddenly and she quickly closed the distance between them. She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, lightly rubbing her fingers against the tear in his shirt there, the tips of her fingers gracing the tiny break of skin.

"Jack…" she croaked, feeling the overwhelming need for tears all over again. He was nearly still, the only sign of life coming from the barely visible rise and fall of his chest. Without warning, He began to shakily pull himself up, bracing his body with his hands. He nearly fell back down before he had finally forced himself into a sitting position, groaning as he grimaced in pain. Suddenly, he winced as he put too much pressure on his right side and went sliding back down to lay on his back. There was a sharp intake of breath as he lay there panting, defeated.

"Oh God…Jack…" she gasped, nearly choking on her words as she took in his appearance. Kate's lips were parted, mouth left open in shock. Exhausted didn't even begin to describe the look about him. The echo of his screams resounded in her mind, ringing in her ears. It was mirrored in his face, etched into his features.

His entire body was racked with obvious pain as he trembled from head to foot. He was shaking ever so slightly, but to Kate it was all too visible and utterly familiar to her. She had seen it all before when it had happened to her. What she saw in Jack now, the pain and the fear, the complete and infinite sense of defeat. She had spent days that way, days under their control.

Reaching out a timid hand, she placed it on his face, fingers running tenderly over the rough stubble of his cheek. She met his eyes then, matching the look of fear she saw in his own. His gaze felt heavy, nearly unbearable from the very second their eyes met. But she couldn't turn away, couldn't even blink for fear of losing sight of it all.

Kate watched as he clamped his eyes tightly shut, face contorted in a grimace as he leaned into her hand, soaking in the feel of it. Her fingertips brushed along the bridge of his nose, moving lightly over his eyelids as she stroked his face with a feather light touch. Her hands shook as she did so, hardly able to keep herself under control. She felt like breaking down, sobbing without relent just at the sight of his broken form.

"Are you alright?" Kate stifled a sob, voice shaking. Her eyes scanned him over, not fully trusting anything he might say about his condition. She was immediately drawn to his hands. His right hand was clutched protectively by his left, cradling it tenderly from sight, "Your hand…Jack, what happened?"

"Its just a burn…" his teeth lightly chattered, lips shaking uncontrollably as though from a chill that did not exist. Jack's eyes suddenly shifted up to meet her own gaze, and a look of utmost amazement washed over him. He looked completely caught up in the image of her, unwilling to break away his stare.

"Just a burn? Jack, let me see it…"she was insistent now, voice coming out more high pitched and vulnerable than she would ever have intended. Kate didn't wait for a response as she quickly reached out for his hand, gripping first at his upper arm to try and pry her way to it.

When he refused to relent, simply sat staring out her with that same haunted look of awe, Kate shot him a questioning glance. She held his gaze for several moments, completely unsure of what to do.

"Jack…" she urged after a moment, hoping to draw him from the kind of trance he seemed lost in. An odd look flashed through his eyes, somehow intensifying the haunted sorrow there.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice came out hoarse and cracked as he let out a sharp breath. A bewildered look of wonder flashed through his eyes, a dull pain etched into his features. He seemed absolutely captivated by her, waiting only for a response from her.

In that moment, in those few agonizing seconds that felt like more than a lifetime of hurt passing before her, Kate knew that he knew. She could see it in his eyes. She could see it as plainly as she could see him. She didn't ask herself how he knew, she should have guessed it would happen sooner or later, but she looked only for a reaction. Jack's gaze felt like a deep burn then, biting at her without relent. Kate felt entirely bare beneath his gaze, more vulnerable and lost than she had ever felt before.

"Tell you what?" She asked, suddenly unable to stand the weight and strength of his gaze any longer. Her eyes fell to the floor, studying it intently as her fingers nervously played with the hem of her frail white over shirt.

"You know what…" Jack was surprised at the firmness of his own voice, the harshness of it. Somehow, it wasn't what he intended but he found that he couldn't speak it any other way. It was like a fire coursing wildly through him, consuming every inch of him with each passing second. He ignored the pain of his arm, of all the scrapes and bruises and gave every ounce of his attention to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Kate's voice shook uncontrollably, her voice coming out in a cracked sob. Her breaths were coming in ragged gasps, and suddenly she felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She trembled, every inch of her shaking with a fear she had known all along. Kate stole a glance at his face, her stare immediately latching only onto his eyes.

She saw it then. Everything she had feared, all that she had known, it was all there. That look of complete and utter disgust, of resentment for them. For _her_. And for the first time she truly saw what she had brought to ruin. She saw Jack as he was, the man he had always been. She saw him broken and defeated, the way she had brought him to. It all fell on her with such a great weight that she gasped, every part of her seeming to collapse as she fell into a fit of sobs.

Kate opened her eyes again and saw him sitting just as he had been moments before. That same stone coldness about him, the detached look of repulsion there. It was like loathing, like hate, like all the anger she could ever imagine seeing in just one man. All of it was spilling over beneath the hardness of his dark orbs.

As her chest was heaved with sobs, wracking her entire body with hot tears that spilled from her eyes, Kate felt the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. He gripped her tightly there, that same intensity about him but it wasn't enough to draw Kate from her crying. She looked up at him, gazing into his eyes through her tears.

There was a change in his eyes, a kind of softness there, a look of tenderness that had been absent before. The burning resent was still present, buried behind this gentler wave, this gaze intended for comfort. Jack's hand still lingered, feeling almost like a deadweight against Kate's shoulder as her breathing began to calm, her sobs drifting to silent tears.

"Kate, why didn't you _tell_ me?" the softness in his eyes didn't fade, only his voice seemed almost harsh, laced with a firm frustration as it came out in a near growl. His eyes looked pained, and immediately Kate's watery gaze fell to the floor again.

And that was when she saw his hand, the one that had been so tenderly hidden before. Now though, its only refuse was gone as Jack's grip never left her shoulder. She nearly gasped at the sight of his hand, feeling a sudden wave of confusion fall over her.

"Jack…" she choked out, voice stalling in disbelief. He misinterpreted her meaning, desperately wanting an answer to his question. She shook her head, fingers making a slow decent for his once hidden hand, "Your hand…"

"What?" he asked, feeling more than a little frustrated at her insistence in avoiding the subject. It came out harsher than intended, almost barking at her.

She was unfazed by the roughness of his voice, unable to notice anything as her fingers fell softly around his wrist, lifting it up from his lap. To her surprise, he gasped then, hissing in pain at the coolness of her touch. His voice fell to a low whimper, his entire body shaking more violently than before as he tried to wrestle his arm away.

But it was too late. She had seen all that was needed. Where she had expected to find charred and mangled flesh, some kind of deep wound from the burn he had mentioned, she saw nothing. Only the same smooth pink skin of his palm and the tiny stretches of callousness from working. The flesh was completely untainted, not a single scratch or evidence to suggest a burn. Nothing.

**

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**

**A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? I know I left off on a bit of a cliffhanger there, but don't worry, it'll be explained in the next chapter. Which will hopefully be out soon. I can't say how soon, but no more than a week, I think. Anyway, your feedback is really important to me so please don't forget to review. I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter, and if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Thanks again for reading and keep an eye out for the next chapter!


	16. Revelations

**A/N:** Ok, I definitely need to start this chapter off with a big apology. I'm _so_ sorry about how long this update has taken me. As much as I hate to make excuses for it, the biggest reason is school. Its just going to take some time for me to get back into the swing of things. Not to mention things have been more than a little hectic for me lately.

Anyway, this update is a little longer, so at least I managed that much. I hope you guys like it, because this one was really meant to give some more insight on Kate's time with the Others before Jack came onto the scene. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it, never have, and I don't see myself owning it in the foreseeable future…

**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 15: Revelations  
**

"Jack, there's nothing there…" Kate's voice broke the momentary silence, a look of astonished awe written clearly on her face. She looked at Jack in question, only to find that his expression mirrored her own.

He looked incredulously at her, a kind of horror washing over his features. Jack opened his mouth as if to speak, but then lifted his palm up to eye level. He just blinked as he stared at it, finally lowering it again as he continued to shake his head, eyes wide with what looked a lot like fear.

Reaching out with his other hand, Jack tenderly brushed his fingers over his palm, immediately jerking his hand back as he winced in pain. He hissed, eyes watering from the terrible sting.

"You don't understand, Kate…" Jack pressed, face still contorted in pain as he panted heavily, eyes fluttering to brush back the stinging ache, "I can feel it…its there…"

He hissed in pain, feeling the softness of her fingers wrapping tenderly around his hand. She lifted it up so that she could see it, trying to brush away the sound of his sharp, ragged breaths and the light whimper of pain. Kate studied the skin of his palm very closely, bringing her face so close to the surface that she could make out the nearly invisible lines there. But still, nothing remotely disturbing met her eyes, and certainly no signs of a burn or wound of any kind.

"I don't see anything, Jack…" Kate confirmed, her own voice shaking as she watched the fear in his eyes turn to something like anger. She flinched as he pounded the cement floor suddenly with his other hand, cursing loudly.

"I can _feel_ it, Kate…" Jack persisted, voice suddenly urgent with hints of anger. His eyes glinted with frustration, face contorting in a clearly visible wince as he continued to feel the throbbing pain in his hand.

"How can you feel something that's not there?" her voice shook, eyes wide with panic.

"I don't _know_…its just there!" his voice came out in a rasp as he let out a sharp breath in pain, gasping for air. He could see it all as plain as day. The man who held him down, Henry Gale standing before him as he pressed his hand into the flame of the candle. Every second of it was clear to him, perhaps even clearer than it had been at the time.

"Who did this to you?" Kate's voice shook, her entire frame trembling as she spoke. Her eyes were watered over, nearly swelling with unshed tears as her mind revisited the previous guilt she had felt at bringing Jack into this situation.

"Henry Gale," Jack all but spat the name, a kind of venom laced into his demeanor. Where seconds ago he had hardly been able to string two words together, he was suddenly powered by a putrid hate. It was like a winding current, racing wildly through his veins and claiming him completely.

Jack's eyes snapped suddenly in Kate's direction at the sound of her gasp. He found a kind of shock written in her eyes, etched into her features. It was like a look of utmost understanding, of unearthing something one would rather leave buried away. Soon the sound of Jack's voice became nothing more than a dim echo in her mind, ever fading until it was less than a whisper.

_Kate had always heard that a person's eyes were a window to their soul, a constant of what they truly were. Her mother had told her once that you can't lie with your eyes. Staring into the pale green eyes of Henry Gale, Kate had to wonder if there was even an ounce of truth to any of it. If Henry Gale's eyes were a window to his soul, then he didn't have one because all Kate could ever see there was a vast amount of nothingness. He was calm, entirely collected when he shouldn't be, his entire demeanor far from being that of a natural human being._

_Fear bit at Kate, cutting her very being cleanly in two. It wasn't a foreign feeling to her, but these most recent aspects of it were far more than she ever could have expected. She was strong, her emotions safely secured behind the equivalent of a brick wall. Never had she had trouble controlling them, bending them to her will and manipulating them for her own purpose. _

_Now though, Kate hardly felt alive. She felt like she was less than nothing, a useless mess of whirled emotions. Everything she had ever known, her entire life had been thrown off balance by these Others as they invaded her in every way imaginable, hurting her like she never would have believed was possible. _

_And now she lay before him, crumbled in a heap of tears on the cold metal floor of his office. Pickett, the one who had thrown her in, he had addressed this man as Dr. Henry Gale. She could hardly meet his eyes for more than a single second, every inch of her aching with shame as he continued to watch her. Kate couldn't bear to gaze back at his face, to see the disgust she knew would be there at seeing her brought to him like this. _

_"Bea!" he shouted, a frustrated bewilderment to his voice, the beginnings of a panic forming there. Kate watched a woman in her mid-forties step forward, entering Kate's limited line of view for the first time, "What is this? What _happened_?"_

_"Dr. DeGroot-" Bea began, but was immediately cut off by Henry's sharp voice._

_"_He _did this!" Henry boomed, his voice coming out in a near snarl, eyes flaring with a sudden anger as he gazed expectantly at Bea, "I was promised a _healthy_ subject!"_

_"Dr. DeGroot said she would be no worse for it," Bea replied, though it was obvious she looked anything but sure of what she was saying. There might even have been the smallest traces of pity in her depths, but Kate couldn't be sure._

_"No worse? Bea, _look_ at her!" Henry snapped, eyes falling again on Kate as he scanned over her broken form. He took in her all but shredded clothing, the obvious cuts and bruises, all of it. She was a mess. He shook his head, eyes blazing with disgust, "She is in no shape for any of the tests. Its all going to have to wait."_

_"Dr. DeGroot mentioned you had planned on a testing a hallucinogenic. Surely her state isn't enough to prevent-" Again Bea hardly had the chance to finish before Henry had cut in._

_"She was _raped_, Bea!" Henry shouted, voice booming angrily. He sounded more incensed, more frustrated now even than before. His eyes flashed briefly to Kate before whipping back around, his gaze grinding back into Bea, "Do you honestly think she is in any kind of mental shape or physical condition for mind games!"_

_"You'll have to think of something, Dr. Gale…" there was a kind of finality to Bea's voice now, sounding completely perplexed as she spoke, "Dr. DeGroot fully expects you to have results for your debriefing tomorrow morning."_

_"Debriefing! He can't expect _anything_ by granting me less than twenty-four hours!" Henry yelled, throwing the clipboard he had previously been holding. It hit the floor with a resounding crash, papers flying off it in a scattered mess, "You go back to Dr. DeGroot and you tell him that I will be evaluating the subject until I give him further notice. Only when I have determined that she is fit for testing will I progress with _anything_. If he has any further concerns, tell him to page me. That is all."_

_There was an obvious sense of finality to his words as Henry immediately turned away from Bea and moved back to his desk. Without a word he began pecking away at the computer, acting as though he was alone._

_"Dr. Gale, you can't expect-" Bea began cautiously, only to be cut off by Henry._

_"I said that is _all_!" he snapped, only turning away from his computer for a brief second. In that same instant, he punch a button on the wall to the side of his desk and the large metal door behind Bea immediately slid open. Henry stared at her expectantly and she stepped through the open door, exiting the room with an obvious sigh of frustration, shaking her head._

Kate was drawn suddenly back to the present, a new light brought to the current situation. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, what she remembered and how it all fit. Kate hardly dared to look at Jack, but knew it was a necessity as the tension loomed in the air around them, its harshness biting at her with a vengeance.

Her eyes fell onto Jack, fixing on his shaking form. His lips were chapped and slightly tinged from the cold. She took in his ragged and broken appearance, eyes immediately drifting to his right hand, the one that was clutched so protectively within the grip of his left. The hand, the burn, it all made even an ounce of sense to her now and in seeing the desperation of his condition, Kate mustered up the courage to explain.

"Jack…did you understand what he was giving you?" Kate asked after a moment, voice shaking and hesitant as she spoke. She eyed him fully now, unwilling to turn away no matter how much she knew his own eyes would burn into her, his accusing gaze too much to bear. She didn't know what he was feeling about what they had done to her, but she could guess. The disappointment, the anger and most of all the disgust had all radiated clearly in his eyes, mirrored by an obvious look of betrayal.

"Yes…no…I don't know, Kate…" Jack's own voice was harsh and ragged, coming out in little more than a cracked whisper. He sounded exhausted and utterly defeated. He shook his head even after he had stopped speaking, a kind of shame washing over him that almost masked the bitter resentment that had never left.

"They talked about a hallucinogenic," Kate said after a moment, taking a pause to gauge Jack's reaction. He hardly turned to look at her for more than a moment before his gaze once again fell to the floor, "That burn they gave you, I don't think its real…"

"Hallucinogenics don't carry on like this Kate…" Jack snapped, voice suddenly rough with bitterness. His gaze flashed up at her then, eyes blazing with an unsaid frustration.

"I don't think any of the normal rules apply with these people, Jack," Kate replied, keeping her voice in check as she tried to smooth it down and keep herself from shaking. She wouldn't let him get to her, wouldn't let his disgust in her matter. She had seen it coming from the beginning, had known it was only a matter of time.

"If this really was just a powerful hallucination, its impossible that it could have caused me any real pain. If this is a hallucinogenic, then I shouldn't be feeling anything right now, Kate…" the frustration and disbelief was clear in his voice, his stubbornness showing through most of all.

"Where's the mark, Jack? If they burned you, there should be a mark," Kate pressed on, feeling her own sense of frustration pounding in her mind. She should have known this would be far from easy.

"Well there's not, Kate!" Jack snapped, shouting furiously at Kate as his body whipped around to face her. She jumped then, unconsciously forcing herself back several feet. Her eyes were wide with shock at him and she watched as a kind of shame flashed briefly in his eyes, "Damn it, I don't know _why_ there isn't! I don't know why I can _feel_ it!"

"It isn't real, Jack…" her voice came out in a harsh whisper, voice timid and distant as she eyed him warily. He met her gaze, saw how wide her eyes were as she watched him and again she could see the shame in his eyes. Even if he hated her now, and a part of her was sure that he did, he still couldn't stand to be cruel to her or anyone else. That was just Jack.

**(Insert Line Here)****  
**

"What _is_ this place?" Sayid's voice was feigned calm, though beneath the collected exterior, there was a rushed worry. He gazed warily around at the mess of machines and wires, eyes falling onto the kind of contraptions he had never seen before.

"You're in the hatch, Sayid," there was a sense of pride to Locke's voice, and the beaming smile that spread across his features only furthered that conclusion.

"The hatch?" a look of pure shock was now etched into Sayid's features, a brief sense of fear flashing through his eyes for less than a second, "How is that possible?"

Sayid's eyes never fell to Locke as he spoke. Instead, he allowed his gaze to travel over each contraption in turn, studying them and trying to comprehend their purpose. Many were things he had never seen, though there were a few Sayid could recognize. Clearly, all of it was extremely outdated technology, but there was still something oddly out of place about all of it. Like there was something he was somehow missing, some kind of connection that he couldn't begin to explain. A brief vision of Danielle came to mind, flooding Sayid's thoughts and ringing in his mind like a mantra. Still, he could make no sense of it.

"Apparently there's a second entrance to the hatch," Locke explained, nodding his head towards the dark hall from which he and Sayid had entered the main computer room.

"And this Desmond, he showed you this?" Sayid was suddenly suspicious, all of the previous anxiety he had felt about the man back at the caves flooding back to him.

"Yes, Sayid, he did," Locke's voice held that same defensive tone he had often used with Jack and Sayid recognized the weakness in the man's defenses immediately. Perhaps Locke wasn't as positive of the situation as he pretended to be. Still though, Sayid watched him, never willing to trust. Locke was a man to hear out, to consider within reason, but never to trust blindly.

"And you trusted him?" Sayid's voice was slowly rising, gaining that same accusing tone he had used back at the caves. The tone that reminded him so much of Jack and his lack of faith.

Sayid had always hoped to hold a middle ground, to be a man of both science and faith. He wanted to believe in Locke, yet keep a safe distance at the same time. But this sudden responsibility, this new leadership he had to face, it made him see Jack's logic much more clearly. It made him see how much harder it was to be a man of faith when he was responsible for more than just his own life. He held in his hands the lives of many, none of which would have a choice in anything with this hatch and it was up to him to do what was best for them.

"Yes, I trusted him," the fake calm to Locke's voice was evident and Sayid took it to his advantage.

"And what would you have done had it been a trap?" The anger was now clear in Sayid's voice, the icy look flashing in his eyes bordering on rage.

"I know what you're saying, I know what you think, Sayid, but it never mattered to me," Locke was suddenly serious, that calm and beaming quality about him suddenly fading, "When I followed Desmond here, I knew there were a hundred things that could go wrong. I knew that you and Jack were probably right about the hatch, about the island, about _everything_, but I had to try. I couldn't just give this up. We have too much invested in this hatch, Sayid. A man died trying to get this thing open. We owe it to Boone to give this a chance."

"Even if you were right, it still gives us no reason to trust this man," Sayid held firm, that brief flicker of light fading from Locke's eyes. The man looked positively shot down, and for a moment Sayid regretted that, but there was more at stake here than a man's pride.

"You want proof, don't you brother?" that same thickly accented voice that had become all too familiar to Sayid suddenly split the air, coming seemingly from nowhere. It took Sayid several seconds of whipping his eyes around the room until his gaze finally fell on the dark outline of Desmond stepping out of the shadows of the hallway through which they had first come.

"You think you've bought yourself time, that now I'm going to trust you because you've brought us here," Sayid's tone was venomous, stinging to the furthest degree. His eyes flashed dangerously in the dim light, that protective anger residing there, "But you're wrong. You've proven _nothing_!"

"If I'm one of them, brother, then why am I still here?" Desmond asked with a tone that was almost amused, as though he hadn't had anything more eventful than this happen in a very long time and he was somehow enjoying every minute of it. There was a sureness about him, like this was some kind of game he was certain to win.

"Your being here proves nothing!" Sayid spat, shaking his head as his stare bore heavily down upon Desmond. He eyed the man's casual stance, took in the worn military type fatigues that somehow further proved the man's guilt in Sayid's mind, "Maybe you enjoy taking unnecessary risks. Maybe, you just don't want to live anymore. Whatever the reason, you are in no position to be trusted."

"There's something you need to see, brother, and you're going to have to trust me if you're going to see it," Desmond held a bargaining tone, staring at Sayid almost in question as he waited to see if the other man would take the bait. Sayid gazed at him for several long moments, obviously thrown off course at Desmond's offer.

"What is it?" Sayid barked, voice unusually quiet as he spoke almost ashamedly for compromising with such a man. Even considering the offer went against everything that Sayid had ever learned in the military, but there was something about what Desmond's character, something about this very hatch that made it impossible for Sayid to ignore it.

"Its called orientation," Desmond clarified, not missing the skeptical tone the other man held or overlooking Locke's silence, "A movie reel. It will tell you everything you want to know, brother."

"Where is it?" Sayid's curiosity peaked to an all time high and he felt his heart pounding madly in his chest as he ignored every instinct that screamed for him not to trust this man, not even to listen to him.

Desmond nodded to the right with his head, signaling towards what looked like an old study or an office, "Its in that room over there, brother," he spoke calmly, his lack of fear almost coming off as entirely sincere had Sayid not been professionally trained to read faces, "On the third bookshelf to the right behind _Turn Of The Screw_."

**(Insert Line Here)  
**

_Henry Gale_. The name swam around in Kate's mind with a fury, ever repeating itself like a mantra. It was like an inescapable coldness, slowly freezing her from the inside out. She felt the chill, constantly gripping at her, yanking her into its steady pull until it was all but too much for her to take.

Kate couldn't stop thinking of it, any of it, particularly not _him_ since she saw that Jack knew. He _knew_. That was still a concept that was almost too much for her to grasp. In her mind, she had made countless excuses of how she would tell him one day, how a right time would come and she would be completely honest.

Only now it was completely out of her hands and only now was she able to admit to herself that in her heart, she never intended to tell him. She had never wanted him to know, never wanted him to be burdened with the knowledge of what had been done to her. Kate had never wanted to see that look of shocked disgust in his eyes, his bitter rejection of her burning behind a mask of indifference.

It was strange how in a time like the present, all she could really think of was Henry Gale. The man hadn't done this to her, hadn't done any of the terrible things that DeGroot alone had been a part of. But he had hurt her in another way, one that could almost be considered deeper, more scarring and unforgettable. She could see the obvious traces of it in Jack and knew without a doubt that he was being presented with the same treatment, the same tests that she had been plagued with during the first days when she had been in this place alone.

Hardly daring to turn her head, Kate knew without looking that Jack sat across the room, body slumped against the far wall. His frame was stretched tiredly out in front of him, broken by exhaustion. Kate could imagine his eyes most of all. They had always been the feature that most stuck out in her mind, the only thing she could trust to tell her the truth. _You can't lie with your eyes._

The things she had seen in his eyes. The way he had looked at her when he had been thrown back into the room. The emptiness she had felt all those days spent alone, all her fears and everything she had known to be an inevitable had suddenly become a piercing reality when she looked in his eyes.

Kate knew now that the look in his eyes, the emotion that was etched so clearly in his features had not faded in these past hours of silence. He hadn't said a word to her since her claim about his burn being the effects of a strong hallucinogenic, but she knew that his silence hadn't been a result of that. It was because of what he now knew, because for the first time since the plane had crashed, he saw Kate the way he always should have.

Everything that Kate felt just now, the confusion and turmoil, but most of all the overwhelming and bitter sense of defeat all seemed so endless. Resting her cheek against the cold cement wall of the cell, Kate had to wonder if time could ever heal this, ever take away the burning feeling of loss and despair. A part of her wanted to believe that time could heal anything, that with time she would be made better. But deep down, she knew that was a hopeless notion, something that was never meant for her.

If this was giving up, then Kate was giving up. She was giving up on the hope of ever having a real life, of ever finding that blank slate that Jack had once insisted she had earned. If redemption was ever really something to be earned, then she had lost it twice over. Kate wondered if it was only now that Jack could see that.

Kate wondered if he could even remember that day on the beach, the day she had been certain he would step out of her life for good and never look back. He had been foolish to stay, foolish to give her that chance. If he had abandoned her that day, washed his hands of the whole thing, then he wouldn't be in this mess now. Jack wouldn't have been reduced to this broken fraction of what he once was.

The tears came before Kate could even fully acknowledge their presence or her need to let them out. It started with a single burning tear, blurring her eyes until it finally rolled down her cheek. It only took seconds for more tears to follow, dripping a harsh trail down her face. She felt sick with shame as she was suddenly choking back a sob. Tears falling in a frenzy, it was like a seam had split in Kate's defenses. In a brief moment of weakness, the walls came tumbling down in crumbled mess. No longer able to choke back the sobs, Kate gave in, starting first with a low whimper. It soon evolved into broken, desperate sobs as she continued to cry.

An eternity seemed to pass as Kate slowly drifted further into the pit of despair she felt she could hold only herself responsible for. She had only ever had herself to blame for so long. Kate was so lost by all of this, so caught up in her emotions, she didn't catch the movement from the other side of the room, didn't suspect anything until she felt first the tips of his fingers grazing over her shoulder, raking against her skin.

She flinched, a violent tremor sliding over every inch of her in an instant as she felt his arms slide around her, his right hand slipping tenderly around her shoulders to hang loosely against her hair. The other moved more insistently across her back, pushing her forward and across the small distance that separated them.

Jack could hardly explain his actions, couldn't even remember how he had come to be sitting right in front of her, pulling her into his arms. All he could feel was this incredible weight on his chest and the burden he had felt dragging him down since his encounter with Henry Gale.

He had been so intent on keeping his distance, so sure that being near her would only hurt her in the end. He hadn't known how to deal with it, with any of it. Even as a doctor, Jack had never encountered a rape victim and especially not one whose wounds were so fresh. And it had scared him, shook him to the very core to think of what had happened to her.

As he drew her rigid form to his chest, wrapping his arms gently around her, he didn't fail to miss the desperate nature of the entire exchange. Jack all but felt her sharp intake of breath as she flinched against him, unwilling at first to settle but suddenly falling limply against him. With his good hand, he tenderly caressed her back, gripping almost in a broken frustration at the hem of her shirt as he fought for control over his own desperation.

There was an intense pain storming through him, gripping him with a strength like he had never known. It stung deeply, biting at him with a constant burn. Because of his nature, Jack had felt responsible for all of the original forty eight survivors. It was like some morbid calling to failure. He couldn't help them all, just as he couldn't help her. A handful had died and she had been taken. All of it was beyond his control, so sickeningly far from his grasp, that he couldn't begin to see how he could be expected to cope with it.

Hot tears burned furiously within the confines of his eyes and they fell free just as he felt the wetness of her own tears like a scalding heat against the bare skin of his neck. Cupping the back of her head, Jack pressed her closer, tucking her head securely in the nape of his neck, resting his cheek against her hair.

The tears fell from his eyes, rolling down his cheeks as he clamped his eyes tightly closed. A bitter resentment tore through him, biting at his very being as he felt her trembling within his grasp, suddenly seeing what he hadn't seen before. He felt her fear and knew now that that fear wasn't just of them. It was of anyone and anything that came near her, it was a fear of being hurt more than she already had been.

Jack thought of how he had held her before, how she had slept in his arms just the previous night and how different this was. Because now he _knew_. He knew what she had been faced with and he knew what they had done to her. Her obvious terror, the open wounds that screamed in her eyes, the persistent trembling, none of it went unseen by him now.

His tears were soon accompanied by sobs, the sound of his cries now mixed with her own. Jack gripped her tighter, holding her head securely in the nape of his neck as though they might come for her any second. Slowly, their bodies rocked back and forth as both continued to cry, sobbing without relent as they had finally reached their breaking point.

_Sterile. That was the first word that came to mind as Kate's eyes flickered over her surroundings, speedily taking in every inch of it as though her life depended on it. The white washed walls were stark and bright, bearing an uncomfortably clean appearance, something that altogether disturbed Kate. _

_It was unnatural, the structure of the room and the way it felt. And Kate _did_ feel it. She felt the frosted texture to the air, the constant chill that consumed every inch of space, making the room feel as though it was growing smaller by the second. It was like the walls were closing in around her, consuming her. _

_Kate felt the filthiness of her body stick out in stark contrast to the room, everything about her seemingly exposed. She sat hunched by the wall, body shrinking down into the floor as far as possible, her best effort to hide herself away. Kate's knees were drawn protectively up to her chest, knuckles white with her vice grip there, as though it would do her any good if push came to pull. Even after all that had happened, all that had _just_ happened, Kate still had that fight in her, even if it had been reduced to near nothing._

_She wanted to escape, to disappear into this vast expanse of white, fade into the walls that suddenly seemed never ending. She wanted to feel again, wanted be alive like she hadn't been since she had been brought to this place and held captive. Most of all, she wanted to flee from his eyes, to fall out of the complexity of his gaze as his burning stare focused only on her._

_Kate didn't know why Henry Gale had helped her, or how it was even possible that he cared what DeGroot had done to her. He was one of them, every bit as much as DeGroot was. He had that same air about him, that sense that screamed superiority and absence of law. There were no boundaries for these men, no wrong that they could actually commit. And yet there was something different about Henry Gale._

_He had given her three days since her encounter with DeGroot, time meant to regain physical fitness. Time to recuperate. Kate wondered if he knew that no amount of time could ever heal her of what had happened, that she would never begin to forget a single second of it. That it would always be seconds away from being on her mind, solidly locked into her consciousness. _

_And now she was here, back in front of him and wondering why she was even alive, why they had even bothered allowing her to live. Kate couldn't help but wonder if there was still anything worth living for at all. Life seemed so meaningless to her now, so constant a reminder to who she was and what she was slowly becoming. Kate's current state of confinement had brought out a helpless feeling that she could never recall feeling before, a feeling she had never even been capable of. _

_Still she felt the burn of his stare, the heaviness of his gaze as he let his eyes bore into her, as though memorizing her every feature. Now and then, she had seen him scratch away at his clipboard, taking down some note or other, but for the past few minutes that had so felt like an eternity, he had been entirely still._

_His gaze was penetrating and constant, a knowing glare to it. There was a smug satisfaction written beyond his emotionless features, a certain light that danced in the depths of his eyes. It was the light of excitement, perhaps even giddiness to a certain degree. It was as though Henry Gale was waiting for her to ask him, forcing her with his silence until she couldn't stand it any longer. It was as if he knew she would eventually break. And she did._

_"What do you want from me?" she asked, voice shaking with a masked terror. Kate wanted so badly to hide her fear, to keep it out of his gaze so he saw only the walls she had kept firmly up around herself. The walls that seemed now to be reduced to rubble. _

_"You ask that as though it was only ever you that we wanted," He blinked then, the only noticeable change in his demeanor as he spoke to her for the first time since she had been brought into the room. He glanced down at his clipboard then, seemingly to dismiss her._

_"Then why I am here? What the hell do you want?" the fear in her voice had yet to retreat, but it was now accompanied by an accusing tone, hindered only by the way her words shook in her throat. _

_"It was never about you, Kate," Henry spoke quietly, not bothering to look up at her from his clipboard as he continued to scratch down notes. Kate watched warily as a tiny smile began playing at his lips. He slowly lifted his head to look at her, eyes practically glowing as they met her stare. A chill ran down her spine as a low chuckle came from him, "You are only the solution to the problem." _

_"What do you _want_?" she all but wailed, voice breaking into a low whisper as she fought at herself not to cry. The fear was so piercing, so strong against everything else that blind terror seemed to be all that she could feel._

_Again, he laughed, "What _we_ want, what Dr. DeGroot wants, is the boy. _That_ is why you're here, Kate," his eyes bore into her as he spoke seriously, voice holding an almost threatening tone, "But what _I _want Kate, now _that _is completely different. I want only one thing. Cooperation. And you will give me that, Kate, because of what I can give you. Protection. I can keep you from him, Kate. Dr. DeGroot will never have a chance to hurt you again."_

_"I don't need you," it was bluntly said, her note of defiance seemingly final, though inwardly Kate was screaming. She wanted out of this more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. The catch was that it looked like she would have to sell herself to the devil to get her way out._

_"That's where you're wrong," and the smugness was back. That utter sense of knowing everything there was to know. Kate wasn't a fool. She knew that he had her. She knew that she was in no position to bargain with him and that in the end, whatever he said was the way things would be, "Right now, you think you're bad off. You think he's done his worst to you and you've got nothing left to live for. But you don't know how wrong you are, Kate. I don't agree with his tactics, but I know them well. If you think he's hurt you now, then try me, Kate. Then you'll find out what being hurt really means."_

_There was a brief stretch of silent, leaving Kate only to her thoughts. She felt as though she was spinning, mind lost in a whirl of emotion as she considered Henry's words. She had no doubt that he mean it, all of it, and that any pity he might have had for her would be lost if she chose to make things difficult for him. _

_With a stinging throb, Kate thought back on that day with DeGroot. It was still as fresh as the day it had happened and it had been the only thing on Kate's mind since. It was something she couldn't control, something she couldn't run from. The memory of it rested like a dark splotch in her mind, lurking menacingly in the shadows. It was a blackness that Kate tried to erase with every breath she took, but one that only seemed to grow with her efforts._

_  
"I'm not a bad man, Kate. I won't harm you the way he did and if you'll let me, I'll prevent that from ever happening again," he stepped forward as he spoke, tone suddenly gentle, yet firmly serious. By the time he had finished speaking, he had kneeled down in front of her, now at eye level with her, face only inches away._

_"What do you want?" her voice came out choked and shaking, hardly more than a broken whisper. As silence stretched over the room, Kate's words faded into tiny whimpers, her eyes burning with tears that she fought not to shed. That all too familiar fear was beginning to grip Kate and she wasn't sure how much more she could take._

_"I've already answered that, Kate," he replied curtly, the dancing gleam in his eyes and the wisp of a smile across his face sending a chill down her spine, "Its simple. While you are with us, I would like to run a few small tests. I'll be honest with you, Kate. This will not be a painless process. But as I said before, what I need from you is your cooperation. The tests I will get with or without your consent." _

_"If you'll have your tests, then why bother with the deal?" it was obvious her nerves were getting a good hold on her as her entire body fell into a constant trembling. It was light at first, but gradually became more violent._

_"My offer is as much for your benefit as it is mine," Again he took up the business tone, that same twisted smirk playing at his lips. He was so close now as he kneeled before her that she could feel his breath on her face, further pushing her into this terror filled state, "If you cooperate, my job will be made easier. It will also be less painful for you Kate, something I'm sure you would be interested in. As I said before, Kate. I can keep you from him."_

_"Why me?" this last question was voiced with a new tone of defeat, the finality to it obvious. Kate was giving up, but more than that, she was on the verge of giving in. He had pushed her passed her limits and he knew it. The gleaming smirk on his face was undeniable._

_"Healthy subjects are hard to come by," there was a light chuckle as he spoke, lips twisting further into a grin as he spoke. His pale green eyes were fixed on Kate's own, "To be honest, Kate, you're my first subject in nearly a decade. I will have plenty of work for you. So what do you say, Kate? Do we have an understanding?"_

_There was a long stretch of silence. Kate attempted to press herself further back against the wall, sliding herself across the floor, but finding she could move no further. She stifled a gasp, the tears suddenly begin to fall as the reality of the situation began to sink in. This was actually happening and it was happening right now. She began whimpering, but the tiny cries soon evolved into sobs that harshly racked her body. That all too familiar fear was consuming her, becoming a more permanent part of her each time she felt it. Each day that they had her._

_"He-he'll leave me alone?" she choked out between sobs, cheeks flushed with tears that continued to fall. She brought her knees up to her chest defensively, pushing herself farther back into the corner, "He won't…he won't-"_

_"Never again, Kate," again Gale moved closer to her, scooting across the floor as he continued to kneel, his white lab coat wrinkling beneath him. His eyes were solemn as he reached a hand forward, fingers gently brushing her cheek, "When your doctor friend hands over the boy, you'll be free. Free of DeGroot and free of me. Now what do you say, Kate?"_

_Kate nodded her head feebly, entire body shaking, "Yes," she said weakly, voice coming out in little more than a whisper. Her eyes darted to the floor, no longer able to stand the shining intensity of his own._

_"I didn't quite catch that, Kate," and now he was mocking, lips twisted into a undeniable smirk, "You're going to have to speak up."_

_"_Yes_," she snapped curtly, falling back into a fit of sobs. Nothing else he said after that registered in her mind. Nothing else mattered. She had never felt more like she was going to die here at the hands of these terrible people. _

_"Good," he said sharply, drawing himself quickly to his feet. He turned away from her then, moving back to his desk where he shifted his attention back to his computer. Kate stayed unmoving in the corner, laying on the floor. Her entire body shook more violently than before, body racked with sobs. _

**(Insert Line Here)**

Darkness. That was the first thing that registered in Jack's mind as he jerked himself awake. His eyes fluttered open, body shifting suddenly. Something had drawn Jack from his sleep, some unknown presence that now eluded him. His vision was blurred, as though lost in a fog and the pitch blackness of the room did nothing to brighten his outlook. Jack's eyes darted both ways, glancing over every inch of the room, falling over every wall and corner. Still he couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face, yet somehow he knew that something was out of place.

And just as Jack was about to nod off, ignore every pretense he felt and force himself to rest, it came again. This time it was more clear to him, meeting his ears as a familiar sound that he couldn't quite place. It was like a low, broken whistle, a light creaking noise coming from just in front of him. The noise sounded close, but how could it not in such close proximity as the cell allowed.

As though caught in a trance, Jack leaned slowly forward, ignoring the dull ache in his body or the soaring heat that raced up his back and ribs. Intent on listening, he still himself completely, willing himself not even to breathe.

The newfound silence felt heavy, falling over Jack with a forced weight. For that brief moment, the sound didn't return and Jack could almost conceive it all being in his mind. With everything that had happened, he couldn't blame himself for unrest.

Certain now that something was wrong somehow, Jack tightened his hold on Kate. He drew her closer to himself, pulling her limber form firmly to his body with an unrelinquishing hold. She stirred only for a moment, nearly unaffected by the disturbance. Jack had to fight the urge not to wake her. If there was danger, it was better that she not know, that she not get worked up over something that couldn't be controlled.

Jack felt an utter sense of protectiveness flare up within him, reaching an all new height. Never in his life had he wanted so badly not to fail. Never had he wanted to protect someone the way he wanted to protect Kate now. He wanted her safety more than he wanted his life. He knew in that moment that he would do anything for her now, anything to keep her alive and safe from these people.

The sound came again so suddenly that Jack flinched, torn wildly away from his thoughts. His body reacted by jerking violently at the sound. Only this time, it was accompanied by a kind of light. It was like a glow, tiny and dull, looking entirely distant until Jack's racing thoughts allowed him to see that it couldn't be.

Everything came together in that moment. The light grew suddenly strong, a bright beam of light now shining in Jack's face. He was blinded at first, unable to make out anything but the brilliant white light for several seconds. It seemed to last an eternity as Jack brought a trembling hand to his face, shielding his already stinging eyes from the light.

Even as his vision had cleared and he shifted his hand away from his face, Jack couldn't turn his heady fully to stare into the beam of light. It moved, shining over him and shifting as it traveled over his entire quivering form. Jack couldn't explain the shaking, couldn't begin to rationalize why he couldn't control the way his body trembled without relent.

The light was coming from beyond the thick metal door that kept them locked within the cell. At first Jack had thought the light was coming from the crack beneath the door, but now he could see that it came instead from the food slot halfway down the door. It was like a mail shoot, only it was about two feet long and over a foot in height. The metal covering had been lifted from out in the hall beyond the cell, the intruder shining a flashlight in to look at them.

Recoiling from the light, Jack turned away from it, shifting to face Kate and further pull her to him. In his mind, he could only imagine them coming to take him away, or worse Kate. What if the deal he had made with DeGroot had been some kind of joke? What if the man had never intended to keep his side of the bargain at all? Jack wouldn't let them take her; he couldn't. Not after what he had heard. Not after what he had witnessed himself. They weren't going to hurt her anymore. Jack wouldn't let them, no matter what the cost.

Squinting, Jack turned his head back to the door, letting his vision clear just enough that he could dimly make out two dark forms beyond the thick metal door. Just behind the beam of light, the forms sat hunched, huddled closely together as each peered through the food slot, looking directly at Jack and Kate.

Jack froze at the realization that they were watching him, stealing a glance down at Kate to be certain she hadn't been jerked awake herself. She was still sleeping soundly, her chest rising and falling rhythmically in sleep. He was grateful for that at least, the peaceful look about her contrasting the redness of the skin around her eyes and the dry tear tracks left there.

Eyes darting back to the door, Jack was only blinded by the light for a moment. He raised a spare hand over his eyes, shielding himself to get a better view of the intruders. He could just make out the one on the left at first, the one that had the flashlight tightly gripped in his hand as he shone it in at Jack and Kate.

Jack could barely see that it was a young man and after a moment Jack recognized him as the one from the wall that day in the jungle. The one that had sounded the call after him. He looked somewhat different now. The young man no longer donned the loose white shirt and brown pants, but rather a worn military jumpsuit. Jack couldn't quite make out the logo at the breast of the jumpsuit, but he had an educated guest that it was the now all too familiar dharma symbol.

Beside the young man was another dark silhouette, this one even harder to make out in the darkness as it was further back. Judging by the smaller frame, Jack guessed it was a female, probably close to the age of the young man. Looking more closely, he could see that she had long dark hair, a deep brown most likely. He could make out little else about her as the light was too dim to fully get a view of her features.

As the two continued to look into the cell, they turned to one another, talking in low whispers. Jack couldn't begin to make out what they were saying, but kept a tight grip on Kate nonetheless. He gazed down at her, thankful that she was still asleep. He stared warily back at the two intruders, still completely puzzled by their presence.

**A/N:** Well, what did you guys think? I know, not a very cool ending, but I really couldn't help it. I just wanted to get something up while I've got the time. Thanks again for reading it and I'll be sure not to take so long with the next update. Please don't forget to review! The feedback really helps!


	17. Propositions

**A/N:** Ok, I'm really sorry about the wait this time guys. I've been really busy with school work lately, not to mention I've been putting a lot of effort into getting a new job. I was gone several days this week hiking as that was a part of my current job, (I'm a camp counselor). Anyway, I've been busy beyond all belief. Sorry the chapter is shorter than usual. I just wanted to get something out before Christmas for you guys and hopefully I'll have another update out soon.

Oh, and I just thought I'd mention that all the events of this chapter (well, really most of this fic) were planned early on in season 2 so I really didn't know anything about most of season 2 or any of season 3. A lot of what we know about the Others now is something I didn't know when I came up with this, so don't expect any of the normal post season 2 plots. Thanks for reading and I hope you guys like it!

**Disclaimer:** I've been told I have better chances of being attacked by a coke machine than of ever owning Lost…

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**All The Right Reasons**

**Chapter 16: Propositions**

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Her vision was hazy, eyes partially blinded by the thin beam of light from the flashlight. It was hardly enough to provide a clear view of the strangers, but just enough to give Alex that tiny glimpse that she wanted.

Squinting, Alex took in the scene before her, gaze focusing in on the two dark figures within the far corner of the cell. They sat hunched together, lying deep within the shadows. At first only the man seemed to be awake, but now the woman had roused as well. Both had wide eyes, like deer caught in the headlights, as they gazed fearfully back.

As Alex continued to stare, she shifted uncomfortably. She felt Joel beside her, stony silent and completely still and wondered how he could take this so easily. She watched as he kneeled beside the opening in the cell door, gloved hand outstretched as he gripped the flashlight and shone the beam in on the strangers.

Leaning forward, Alex took another long look at them. Outsiders. That was exactly what they were. They didn't belong on this island, but somehow all of the horrific tales she had heard told by some of the villagers didn't seem to ring true in her mind now that she saw these people for herself. They looked just like herself and the rest from the village. Nothing threatening or vile about them as she had been told. And she knew that unwillingly, Joel knew the same thing and held the same suspicions.

Alex looked to her side at him, seeing the stern look on his face, his eyes plagued with doubt. She looked at him in his uniform, AK-47 slung leisurely over his shoulder. Alex had known from the day that he enlisted in DeGroot's army what he had wanted. It was what he had always wanted. Revenge. Payment for the pain and loss that had been thrown at his family. That was what every boy that had enlisted wanted, but none so much as Joel Stevens.

For the first time, she could see a glimmer of doubt shining in his eyes. He was seeing the same people now as she was and the hatred that had burned in his heart for them was suddenly brought into question for the first time in his life.

In a sudden moment of uncertainty, Alex stretched a trembling hand forward and placed it on his shoulder. Her palm barely covered the dharma insignia there and the patch of his rank. He jerked his head suddenly to face her, that same lost look deep in his eyes.

"What are you thinking?" she asked hesitantly, somehow already sure of his answer.

"I don't know," he said grimly, eyes falling briefly to the floor as he swallowed hard before turning back to her, "That's why I brought _you_ here."

"I don't understand it…" she mumbled, tearing her gaze away from him and turning back to look at the strangers within the cell. They still clung tightly to each other, genuinely afraid as they watched her, "How can this be them?"

"Oh, it is," Joel assured her, shaking his head in frustration. Stretching out a hand, he extended a finger towards the man, "That's the doctor. I caught him just outside the wall. And the woman, she was found wandering somewhere near their camp."

"They took her from her camp?" Alex asked, shocked. She looked at Joel, hoping he would have an explanation, but one look in his eyes told her he didn't.

"It had to be done," Joel sounded perplexed, like he was defending something he hardly understood himself, "We needed leverage."

"But you _took_ her from her own _camp_!" Alex argued, stunned that this was even an issue. Was he that far into this that he couldn't see what was wrong here? "Can't you see what's wrong with that?"

"Alex-" he began, voice coming out in a low growl, as if in warning.

"Why did you bring me here, Joel?" Alex said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest as she gazed defiantly at him. He wouldn't have brought her here if he didn't have some kind of doubt about these outsiders.

He looked torn, eyes plagued with a kind of guilt as the color slowly drained from his face. Meeting her gaze, his eyes pleaded with her, face serious, "Because I needed you to see this. I need to know what you think."

"I…" she began, suddenly at a loss for words. She had never been so stunned in her entire life, never had a reason to truly doubt what she had always known to be true. That these outsiders were enemies, that they should be feared. Though her father had often taught her differently, a part of her had always assumed DeGroot knew the truth. They were dangerous, "Why didn't you ask my father? You know what he believes. He would want to see this."

"I couldn't ask him. I wouldn't know what to say. I know you Alex and I know you'll be honest. You'll tell me what you think. I _need_ to know what you think," the desperation in his voice came as a surprise, the sheer helplessness completely foreign to her.

"They're people, Joel…" Alex responded softly, taking a brief glance back to the two strangers. The man was whispering quietly in the woman's ear, lightly gripping her shoulders as if in comfort. The way the woman shook, her entire body trembling, it was obvious she was afraid. Alex couldn't blame her, "Look her. She's terrified. What have you done to them?"

"_I_ haven't done _anything_, Alex!" Joel snapped, anger flashing in his eyes. With one look to Alex though, and the sudden hardness in her gaze, his tone immediately softened as he brought himself in check, "They've not been harmed. Frightened, but never harmed."

"What does DeGroot want with them?" Alex asked, eyeing the pair doubtfully as she thought of Joel's promise that they hadn't been hurt. She knew the principals of their colony had always required peace, but did that extend to DeGroot's army?

"He hasn't said," Joel answered, looking away from Alex as he ran his fingers nervously through his mass of brown curls, "Some of us, we think he just wants to interrogate them. You know, get information about their numbers and locations. There's still a lot we don't know about them, Alex."

"If that's what DeGroot wants, then why didn't he capture soldiers? These two don't look like they'd know anything about the military," Alex questioned, looking completely puzzled. If anything, the two strangers looked like civilians, no more dangerous than the people from her village.

Joel looked hesitant, lips parting briefly as though he thought to say something, but then closing just as quickly. He looked tentatively at her, completely unsure what he ought to say. He knew the truth, but he also knew it wouldn't be something she wanted to hear.

"Because they don't _have_ any soldiers…" Joel said with a sigh, unable to even meet her eyes, knowing exactly what he would see. He had thought the same when he had heard the news, but DeGroot had assured him things weren't as they seemed. He had sworn there was a reason these people were being closely monitored and that they were indeed a threat.

The shock in her eyes didn't come as a surprise to Joel, nor did the sudden flash of anger that came next, "Its not what you think," he cut her off quickly, rushing for an explanation, "DeGroot assured the men that its all a front. A military tactic." she looked skeptical, "You don't know, Alex. None of us do. It's better for us to be prepared, no matter what that means."

"And what if it means hurting two innocent people?" Alex looked more than skeptical. She looked entirely angry, baffled even by his inability to admit DeGroot might be wrong. He always had idolized the man.

"You don't know who these people are, Alex," Joel continued, though the doubt in his tone was unmistakable, "Even if these two aren't dangerous, the rest of them very well could be. Its for the safety of the village."

"But you doubted that," it was not a question, but more of a statement. An accusation.

"I didn't-" he began, but was immediately cut off by Alex.

"You brought me here because you doubted DeGroot's decision about these people," she said seriously, eyes bearing into him as if daring him to deny it, "You were expecting soldiers. Bad men. Just anything to justify your anger towards them. These people aren't that, Joel and you know it."

Joel sighed, continuing to run a hand through his hair, letting his shoulders slump in defeat before looking back at Alex, "I see what you see. I just don't understand it."

There was a long stretch of silence. Neither Joel nor Alex looked at each other, both knowing exactly what they would see in the other's eyes. Confusion would be the most prominent emotion, shock not following far behind. It wasn't everyday that something this serious happened.

"We need to do something," Alex said, breaking the silence. Her voice split the air, crashing hard into Joel. He jerked his head up to look at her, stunned eyes flashing incredulously.

"You can't be serious…" Joel tried, looking hopefully at Alex. It took only a moment for him to see the utter seriousness in her eyes, radiating clearly in her gaze, "Think about what you're saying, Alex! _Think_ for a moment, will you? Let's just imagine that we _could_ do something. What on earth would we do? Send them back to their people? Let them go back to planning a _war_ against us? They know too much now. It's a liability, Alex!"

Joel continued to argue, speaking on though Alex had stopped listening soon after he had started. She knew what he would say. She didn't have to listen to him say it. Turning away, Alex just stared into the cell, watching as now only the man stared back at her. The woman had turned away from the door, her face buried in the man's chest. He had his arm draped protectively around her shoulders, gripping her tightly to his hunched form. Even in the darkness, Alex could clearly see the cold disgust in his stare, the hate burning in his eyes.

Alex wondered then just how dangerous this man could be. The way he gazed at her now, she was certain he could kill her with his bare hands that very moment. But for some reason, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that this man wouldn't. There was something about him, some clear message in the tenderness he showed the woman. It was in the way he protected her, the way he hid her away and held her.

It was in that moment that everything was decided for Alex. In those seconds as her mind brushed away the sound of Joel's voice, blocking out the lecture she was certain he was still giving. In the back of her mind she thought she heard him calling her name. It didn't matter. All that mattered now was that she knew these people meant no harm. Gazing at them now, she knew that they didn't belong here. And despite Joel's protests, she was certain that she had to do something.

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"Jack…" Kate breathed, speaking almost in question. Her voice shook, lips trembling ever so slightly, but enough for Jack to notice it immediately. He snapped his attention from the door, turning to her almost in a panic.

His hand flew over her mouth in a second, clamping tightly there to quiet her. Jack couldn't help but to flinch at seeing the stunned look of fear that flashed across her features, eyes wide with terror. He met her anxious stare, trying to calm her with a look, though knowing it would have little affect.

Jack nodded towards the door, and in a swift moment of indecision, Kate let her eyes flicker to his, following his gaze. It was only then that she noticed the slight outline of the two figures, both pulled further back into the shadows than before, so much so that they were nearly impossible to make out. They hadn't left as she had first thought.

Her body chilled, breath catching painfully in her throat as her eyes stayed locked on Jack's cautious gaze, waiting for the two strangers to leave. Neither could begin to imagine the implications of these visitors or what it could mean for them. Most of all, neither Kate or Jack knew what the two wanted of them. And that was more than enough to fear, Kate thought grimly.

"I think they're gone," Jack said after a moment, voice coming out choked and gruff.

"The soldier…" Kate said finally, voicing what she had been thinking the entire time. Her voice wavered for a moment, as though deep in a thought, remembering. It came out in a cracked whisper, harsh in the stony silence of the room, broken and cold. "He helped me…when DeGroot…when he…"

Jack nodded, eyes suddenly clouding over at Kate's mention of her encounter with DeGroot. An odd sensation passed through him as he considered the young man, wondering what he had done for Kate and why he had done it. He was one of them. That was plain by the patch on his uniform.

And as Jack began to visualize him in his mind, a sudden realization began to wash over him. The young man had indeed been familiar. Jack had seen him before in the watchtower atop the wall. He had been the one to spot Jack and sound the alarm.

"I've seen him before too," Jack admitted, eyes distant as he tried to picture the watch tower in his mind, "When I came looking for you, just before they caught me, I saw a wall. It was huge…massive. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. There was a watch tower and I know that man was the one I saw in it."

Kate considered what Jack was saying, comparing his story with her own. The soldier had helped her, but it sounded as though Jack had had just the opposite experience. Where did this man stand and was he trying to help them now?

"Did you know the girl?" Kate asked, speaking somewhat more quickly than before.

"No," Jack shook his head, eyes continually darting back to the door as he shifted uncomfortably beside Kate. His eyes were glazed with a distrustful look. He looked deep in thought, completely puzzled. After a moment, he voiced his thoughts, "Kate, what have you seen about them? Does anything seem odd to you?"

"Jack, _nothing_ is normal here…" Kate said, looking exasperated as she spoke. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, asking something like that.

"No, I know, but its different than I expected," Jack said, thinking back to his conversation with Rousseau and the dharma lighter she had given him. It took Jack only a split second to reach down and feel the lighter safely stuffed in his pocket. He was glad he hadn't lost it, "Before they caught me, I talked to Rousseau. It was like she knew something I didn't; something important about the Others. I didn't understand it then, but I think I see it now."

Kate sat silently, eyes fixed intently on his own as she waited for him to continue. Wordlessly, Jack reached a trembling hand into his pocket, pulling out the lighter. Somewhat proudly, he thrust it forward, offering it to her. Kate took the lighter from his hand, looking puzzled as she held it out in front of her, carefully inspecting it. Her eyes darting back to his waiting form several times before falling back on the lighter. She flashed him a questioning look as she finally turned back to him in defeat.

"I don't understand…" she fumbled with her words, looking back at the lighter with no more of a clue than before.

"Neither did I, at first," Jack quipped, that proud air more apparent than ever. It was the first glimmer of the Jack she knew, shining ever so faintly through the thick barrier he had placed around himself. Kate couldn't be more glad to see just that tiny glow, "When she gave me that lighter, she told me that the Other weren't what they seemed. Not _all_ of them anyway. I couldn't begin to imagine what she meant at the time, but ever since I got here, I can't help but think that not all these people seem to connect. Its like we're dealing with two separate groups."

"What are you saying?" Kate questioned, still not entirely sure what Jack was getting at.

"I'm saying that I think that the people we've been calling the Others are actually two separate groups," Jack suggested, looking almost sheepish as he spoke, knowing before he had ever said his piece that it was somewhat farfetched. What was ever obvious when it came to the Others?

And suddenly it dawned on Kate. Everything that he was suggesting and all that it implied was suddenly as clear as day in her mind. She had to wonder why the thought hadn't struck her sooner, the differences in her captors now unmistakable. She remembered the men who wore the pale gray jumpsuits. They were much quieter than the others and she suspected that both they and the ones who wore the shaggier clothing could be placed in the same category. But the ones who had stuck out were Henry Gale and DeGroot. And not only them, but the more gruff, serious men who typically wore black. The ones who almost always resorted to violence and showed no sympathy what so ever.

"You're right…" Kate said after a moment, voice filled with a kind of awe. She was serious, sounding entirely doubt free for the first time since Jack had found her in this cell, "You have to be…**  
**

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It seemed like hours later before silence once again fell over the cell, the sudden stillness appearing out of place after the constant chatter of moments before. Jack's theory about the Others had sparked a newfound interest within both of them and a need to further explain their surroundings.

Only one thing seemed certain to them. These Others were not an entirely united front. They were divided somehow, forming at least two separate groups. Neither Kate nor Jack could begin to explain how this might have come to pass, but both knew that it was the way it was.

The wall Jack had stumbled upon hinted at some kind of village, like some kind of utopian society hidden away in the jungle. It was a far cry from the concrete walls of the cell in which they now sat or the more sophisticated nature of the entire compound for that matter.

And how did the hatch back at their camp factor into all of this?

It was in this final stretch of dead silence that a foreign sound caught Jack's ears, pulling his attention. Before he had time to really take it in, the more familiar sound of cracking static came from the worn intercom speaker overhead. Jack's gaze flew up to the little metal box before shifting back to fall onto Kate. He watched her gazing back at him, her eyes glazed over with that familiar fear, but a newfound resolution washed over her face.

"They're coming…" Kate whispered, voice hoarse with defeat. Her broken eyes never left his, her shoulders shrugging down as she held her knees tightly to her chest.

Jack let out a breath, sighing deeply as he felt suddenly weightless with dread. As her the reality of her words washed over him, Jack felt as though he had been hit in the chest by ton of bricks. His mind flashed back to his last encounter with the Others, a shadow of the previous pain in his hand flashing across his face.

Clasping his eyes shut briefly, they opened to meet Kate's eyes. Her own broken stare, gazing hollowly back at him in the dimness of the flickering light overhead. In seconds, the paralyzing fear he had found her with several days ago had come flying back. Reaching out, he clasped her hand in his, gently interlacing their fingers and squeezing for support. Jack knew that because of the deal he had made with DeGroot, they wouldn't harm Kate. She would be left here in the cell while they did what they pleased with him. But she couldn't know that. He only wanted her to know that she would be safe.

Just as he gripped her hand, the door was thrown open with ease as four men dressed in black came pouring through the door. In the back of his mind, beyond his current state of terror, Jack noted that these men were a part of the second group he and Kate had discussed. They were not the more timid ones in ragged clothing. Inwardly, he cringed.

"On your feet!" the one closest to Jack growled, his large hands encircling Jack's arms as he none too gently lifted him off the ground and to a standing position. Jack's hand fell from Kate's grip, a sudden emptiness falling over him.

As the man jerked Jack to the side, moving close to tie his hands, Jack's eyes fell on Kate. A sudden terror engulfed him as he saw the other two men move in her direction. Heart pounding, Jack watched as they roughly pulled her to her feet, throwing her to the side as they began to tie her hands.

"Let go of her!" Jack yelled, a fury like he had never known overriding his senses, "DeGroot promised to leave her out of this!"

One of the men tying Kate turned around, a crooked smirk planted at his lips, "Shut him _up_!"

Just as Jack opened his mouth to yell, protest, anything he could to stop them, he felt a flash of pain burning at the back of his head, tearing into his skull. The world became suddenly hazy as he felt his limbs go numb, knees buckling beneath him. Everything went black before Jack ever hit the ground**  
**

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Jack's eyes burned as a sudden light blinded his vision, consciousness finally returning to him. He had no idea how long he had been out and no time to process the facts. He could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, washing over him like water. Breathing hard, his eyes came into focus and he found himself in an all too familiar setting.

The walls surrounding him were a blinding white, the pale chalky texture making his head spin. The room was large, but he could easily make out DeGroot's form before him. Henry Gale stood beside him along with several of the men in black.

Turning his head only half an inch, Jack felt a rush of pain bolt through him, biting at his skull. Wincing, Jack moaned in pain, gritting his teeth as it continued to surge through him. His gaze fell on Kate and in that instant, it was as though the world stopped. Everything came to a pause as he took her image in, adrenaline pumping wildly through his veins.

She lay only feet from him, body crouched wearily against the floor, looking as though she wanted nothing more than to disappear into the expanse of concrete beneath her. Kate's knees were drawn protectively to her chest, her knuckles white with force as she gripped at her own wrists. That all too familiar feral look in her eyes, the intensity of the fear in her gaze knocked Jack flat.

With seemingly hollow eyes, Kate gazed blankly back at him. Behind that hard haze was a fear Jack knew all too well and one that he knew would never leave him, even if they managed to ever leave the island and the Others behind. The sincerity within her being, the honesty that could never be present otherwise. It was a fleeting moment in which Kate wore her emotions on her sleeve, the inescapable vulnerability of her fear forcing out the truth. Jack both admired and dreaded such moments, hating the repercussions of it all, but a part of him still appreciating the delicate fragility of it.

"A messenger has been sent to your camp," DeGroot's voice broke the silence, drawing Jack out of his reverie. Kate's only visible reaction was a slight tremor that tore across her face, momentarily clouding her features. Despite her shallow gaze, Jack knew that ever ounce of Kate's conscious hung on DeGroot's every word.

"Your friends have been given a proposition, Jack," there was an amused venom to DeGroot's voice, his composure a steely chill. There was a glint as he spoke, an all too familiar light dancing in his eyes, "From the day your lot has set foot on this island, you have gone where you do not belong and meddled in things that ought to be left alone. You have interfered with my work and that is where the line is drawn, Jack. My terms are simple. I want the boy back. I want Walt and to ensure that I won't have anymore of these nonsense rescue attempts you and your friends seem so fond of, the limit is two days. Forty-eight hours, Jack, and I had better have the boy back in my possession," The threat was clear, the deadly still of DeGroot's features firm and forbidding. His lips twisted into a wicked curve of a smile, "If I'm crossed, if any of my demands are not met within the time limit, then one of you is going to die Jack. You or the girl. And _you_ are going to have to choose."

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**A/N:** Dun dun dun….Sorry about the cliffy guys! Really, if any of you even still remember this fic exists and actually care to see its conclusion, I do intend to get into a better update pattern. Especially since I still really want to do the sequel. Again, sorry about the length. I had intended for it to be longer and go into another scene or 2, but as I said before, I just wanted to post something for you guys before Christmas. Until next time, thanks for reading, guys! Please don't forget to review and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas! 


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